


Fourth of July

by iamcatastrophicc



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: F/M, Framia - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-03-14 11:06:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 46
Words: 80,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13588764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamcatastrophicc/pseuds/iamcatastrophicc
Summary: Frank Iero is pretty much your ordinary twenty-two year old man working dead end jobs while trying to get his band started with his best friend and manager, Jamia Nestor. And then one day while walking home he finds a not-so-ordinary man who really wasn't a man at all. He was just Gee, little Gee who can count to ten and roll his tongue. And the only thing little Gee needs is help from Frank.





	1. Chapter 1

I sighed in relief as I hung my apron up and pulled on my jacket. It was the end of the week and nothing sounded better than going home to take a nice hot shower before sitting in front of the tv with a cold beer in my hand. I was so exhausted maybe I would even just go straight to sleep. 

I walked out of the building after punching out, wishing I had driven today so I could just get home faster but I didn’t want to waste gas. I took a shortcut through the woods, listening to twigs snap under my feet with every step I took. 

I heard soft crying then and looked around. Behind a big rock was a boy shivering and crying. He was small and thin, clearly very malnourished to the point where he stopped growing very early on. He was probably didn’t even stand five feet tall. His black hair was long and greasy and his skin was extremely pale. He wore a dirty pink dress and had some cuts on his skin. 

“Hey, are you okay?” I asked. 

The boy looked up at me as he sniffled. He didn’t say anything and I kneeled down beside him. 

“Come here, let’s get you somewhere warm,” I said. 

I put my jacket over his shoulders and carefully helped him up to his feet. We got back to my house and I sat him down on the couch.

“What’s your name?” I asked. 

“Gee,” he mumbled. 

“Your full name,” I said. 

He frowned softly. “Gee Bear.”

I sighed. “Okay, What is Gee short for them? Geoffrey? George?”

“Gee Bear,” He said, a little more confidence in his voice this time. 

“Do you know your last name?” I asked. 

“I can count to ten,” he said proudly. 

I bit my lip. “Do you have any family or friends?” 

Gee shook his head. 

“Where’d you come from?” I asked. 

“Daddy said the magic stork in the sky,” he said. 

“No, I meant where did you come from before you were in the woods?” I asked. 

“I was in the funny house on the hill with Daddy,” he said. 

“Wait, I thought you didn’t have any family,” I said. 

“Daddy I call Daddy because he takes care of me,” he said. 

“Alright, Where is this funny house?” I asked. 

Gee shrugged, playing with a little stuffed toy that I just now noticed he had. 

“How old are you?” I asked. 

“I’m ten twice,” he said. 

“Ten twice?” I asked. 

Gee nodded. “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.”

He counted slowly on each of his fingers before moving over to my fingers to continue counting. 

“Twenty?” I asked. 

Gee shook his head. “No, I’m ten twice.”

He played with his little lamb, giggled as he waved his little hooves. 

“Gee, are you hungry?” I asked. 

Gee nodded and I sighed as I went over to the fridge. I better feed him before I take him to the police station, otherwise with all the talking and paperwork he probably won’t eat until tomorrow. I made some ramen before I sat down next to him, the bowls going on the coffee table. 

Gee looked at the bowl nervously, his head tilting slowly. He leaned closer, sniffing it before sitting up. He proceeded to then inspect the bowl, giggling when the soup swished around. Gee sat up to look at me. 

“What is this?” I asked. 

“Soup,” I said. 

“What’s soup?” He asked. 

“Y-you don’t know what soup is?” I asked. 

Gee shook his head. 

“It’s good, just eat it,” I said. 

Gee watched me eat it carefully before he copied me. He seemed satisfied and the two of us ate quietly. Well, quietly other than Gee’s slurping. 

“Good?” I asked when he finished. 

Gee nodded enthusiastically and eyed my bowl next. I looked down at my half eaten bowl before I handed it to him. Gee ate it happily before setting that one down next to the other empty bowl. 

“I’m tired,” he declared suddenly. “I got night night.”

Just like the food I should probably let him sleep or else he won’t get much sleep while he’s down at the station. 

“Alright, let’s get you cleaned up first and I’ll get you some pajamas,” I said. 

I cleaned some of the dirt and mud off his skin before handing him a pair of plaid pajama pants and a black t-shirt. 

“No,” he said, handing them back to me. 

I looked at the stack of clothes before looking at him. 

“What’s wrong with these?” I asked. 

“Not pretty,” He stated. 

“Not…” I trailed off. “Alright, I guess I will go find you something pretty to wear.”

I looked through my closet as I bit my lip. Most of my clothes were just band shirts. But in the back I saw a shirt that was a gift from my stepmom, a lavender shirt. While I was picking out pants I suddenly realized that he wouldn’t be able to fit my pants. Gee accepted this shirt and I let him change in the bathroom. I laid some blankets and pillows out on the couch for him. 

“I’m ready for night night,” Gee said. 

I turned around and saw him wearing my shirt and if came down to the tops of his thighs. 

“Alright, I made up a bed for you on the couch,” I said. 

Gee smiled and laid down. 

“Can you tuck me in and tell me a bedtime story?” He asked. 

I sighed, tucking him into the bed. 

“Alright, um, once upon a time there was a princess who lived in a castle and then a dragon came to attack the castle and she called her knight boyfriend and he came and slayed the dragon the end.”

“That wasn’t a very good story,” he pouted. 

“Go to sleep,” I said. 

Gee hugged his stuffie, closing his eyes. I put the bowls into the sink before I turned off the lights and went to my room. I had just crawled into bed when the door opened and Gee crawled into bed with me. 

“What are you doing?” I asked. 

“Dark is scary and I got lonely,” he said. 

Gee fell asleep beside me within less than a minute and I sighed as I turned my back to him before slowly falling asleep. 

Peaceful dreams were interrupted by loud screaming and an alarm going off. I jumped up to my feet, the blankets going with me as I quickly got tangled up and fell over. When I was able to gather myself I found that it was just my alarm clock going off and Gee was in the corner sobbing as he covered his ears. 

“What the fuck,” I mumbled. 

I shut off the alarm clock and Gee quickly calmed down. I looked to him for some sort of answer but he just stood up, giving the alarm clock a dirty look. 

“At least I know I’ll never sleep through my alarm clock again if he sticks around,” I muttered to myself. 

“Tummy rumbles,” Gee said, putting a hand on his stomach. 

I sighed. “Alright, let’s go get you breakfast and then we’ll take you down to the station.”

Gee sat at the table as he watched me cook. I made some pancakes before I set a small stack down in front of him. Gee looked at it nervously, pushing his finger under the top pancake to peek underneath it. 

“It’s just a normal pancake,” I said. 

“Pan cake,” he repeated, separating the words. 

“No, it’s just one word,” I said. “Pancake.”

“Pan cake,” He stated defiantly. 

I decided not to correct him as I took a bite. Gee watched me as I chewed.

“Different bread,” he said before taking his own bite. 

He hummed in approval, taking a second bite before he even swallowed the first. 

“Do you want syrup?” I asked. 

I poured syrup onto my own pancakes and he nodded. I poured a bit onto his ate he smiled when he ate it, pouring even more on so the pancakes were dripping with syrup. I was slightly grossed out as I watched him eat across from me. I ended up having to make more for him because he was still hungry but by the time we were done he was a sticky mess. 

“Alright, I need to get you cleaned up before we go to the stations,” I said. 

Thankfully he seemed to already know the routines of a bath but apparently not a shower, he got a little scared from the loud water. He took off his shirt and I frowned as I looked at him, you could see each individual rib because he was so thin.

“Alright, here’s the body wash and shampoo,” I said as the water filled the tub.

Gee nodded and I left him alone in the bathroom. I went out and cleaned up the dishes, folding the blankets that were on the couch. Soon Gee came back out and I smiled.

“Let me get you some clothes,” I said.

I had put his dress into the washer last night and now it was nice and clean. Gee put it on and smiled at me proudly. I grabbed my phone and wallet, bringing him outside to the garage. He looked at the car nervously but I got him inside and buckled. I got in and started the car up.

“Woah, there’s funny rumblings,” Gee said.

I smiled over at him softly as I drove us into town. Gee kept looking around, fascinated at everything in the car. He poked the tree shaped air freshener hanging from my rearview mirror. 

“It smells good,” I said.

Gee smiled and smelled it.

“I like this,” he said. “Is it a necklace?”

“No, it isn’t,” I said. “It’s an air freshener, it makes the car smell nice.”

I watched him take the air freshener off and put it around his wrist. We pulled up to the police station and I sighed quietly as I brought him in.


	2. Chapter 2

“Gee was most likely a victim of kidnapping,” the officer said. “And judging by his health--both mental and physical--he was most likely kept in a locked room the entire time all alone. It’s seen sometimes in kidnap victims, If they aren’t exposed to anything new they have a child mentality because that’s how they were raised. He was probably all alone in an empty room all day, poor guy.”

“When was he kidnapped?” I asked.

“My best guess is when he was about a year old,” she said. “He doesn’t seem to know his own name, Gee was probably just a nickname for him from his parents and his kidnapper just continued with it.”

“So you’re going to find his family?” I asked.

“Yes but it’ll probably take a little while,” she said. “Will he be staying with you?”

“W-with me?” I asked.

“I know this isn’t the usual situation but this has never happened before and we don’t have anywhere to house him and he seems to have become quite attached to you,” she said.

“Yes, that’s fine,” I said. “I can keep him for a little bit I guess.”

“Frankie?” A voice asked quietly and I looked over at Gee, who had been playing with his toys in the corner. “I have to go potty.”

“It’s down the hall,” I said.

Gee whined, tugging on my sleeve.

“Do you want me to take you?” I asked and he nodded. “Alright, excuse me, officer.”

I took Gee to the bathroom and we came back. I talked with the lady for a little bit longer before we went back home.

“Alright, do you want to watch some cartoons?” I asked.

Gee didn’t say anything, sitting down on the couch.

“Actually, we should probably take you shopping, you’re gonna need some clothes,” I said. 

Gee whined unhappily as we were back into the car. When we got to the mall he was fascinated as he looked around.

“Wow, this is the biggest place in the world!” He cheered.

Gee held my hand as we walked to a store where it looked like he would shop. He shrieked happily as he looked at all of the pretty dresses and skirts. Gee picked out some clothes and I bit my lip as I looked at my wallet. It was going to hurt but Gee needed clothes.

“So pretty!” He cheered.

“Oh, Gee, that one’s too expensive,” I said.

“What does that mean?” He asked.

“You see this little number on the paper thing?” I asked and he nodded. “You have to get the ones with smaller numbers.”

“Smaller than Five-Four?” He asked.

I looked at the fifty-four dollar dress and nodded.

“This one,” he said. “Seven-one. Look, one is littler than four.”

“No, the first number has to be smaller,” I said.

Gee nodded and picked out a few more things before I paid for it. We passed by a store and he whined, pulling me into it. I frowned softly as he dragged me around the baby store.

“Look at this little baby blanket, I want it,” he said. “And the sippy cup and the paci.”

I bit my lip. “That’s fine, let me pay for it and then we’ll go home.” 

I paid for all of the things he wanted and I hurried him back to the car before he could ask for anything else. Gee played with his lamb happily until we got home and he hurried inside.

“Frankie, what’s that?” Gee asked, pointing to my tv.

“It’s a tv,” I said.

Gee frowned in confusion. I turned the tv on and he shrieked, covering his eyes. I turned it off, sighing quietly as I sat beside him.

“Gee, how did you get here?” I asked.

“Daddy brought me down the mountain and he told me he would be right back buts then it getted dark and cold and scary,” he said. “And you saved me like a knight and I’m your princess.”

I smiled softly, leaning back against the couch.

“Do you know where he went?” I asked.

“He telled me that he needed to grab his jacket,” he said.

“You walked down here off the mountain?” I asked.

He didn’t look strong enough to walk half a mile. 

“Daddy had to carry me a lot,” he said. “My tummy is rumbly again.”

“Alright, I have some frozen spring rolls and I can make some rice too,” I said.

Gee stared at me in confusion.

“What have you eaten, Gee?” I asked.

“Bread,” he said.

“Bread and what?” I asked.

“Bread,” he repeated.

Well that would explain a lot, why he was so malnourished and tiny.

“Well, I think you’ll like this,” I said.

I went over to the kitchen, cooking lunch for us as I kept watching him to make sure he was okay. He played with his lamb, humming happily while he played. I finished eating and set plates down at the table. Gee came over and again inspected his food. He took a single grain of rice and put it into his mouth. He cut off the end of the spring roll and gasped.

“Surprise!” He exclaimed.

Gee looked at the inner parts of the spring roll curiously. He took a few cautious bites before he nodded his head, continuing to eat. I looked through my fridge and poured him a glass of juice.

“What’s this?” He asked.

“Orange juice,” I said.

Gee nodded and took a small sip before sticking out his tongue.

“Icky,” he said.

I took the drink for myself and poured him some apple juice. Gee liked this one and I smiled. I watched him eat in his usual meticulous yet messily quick way.

“Gee, you can slow down,” I said.

“But it’s so good, I’ve never eated so much food before,” he said. “I only getted a few pieces of bread a day.”

“Gee, you can slow down, it’s fine,” I said. The food is still going to be there in five minutes, okay?”

Gee nodded and tried to slow down but I could tell he wanted to eat faster. I bet he was starving, I can’t imagine eating just a of couple slices of bread everyday. He must have had a pretty shitty life after he got kidnapped, I can’t even begin to imagine what it was like.

“Hey, Gee, I want you to know that you can be happy here with me until we find your family,” I said.

“Who’s my family?” He asked. 

“We don’t know that yet but we’re going to find out,” I said. 

“My family is Sebastian,” he said. 

“Who’s Sebastian?” I asked. 

Gee helped up his lamb and I smiled softly. 

“Isn’t that right, Sebby?” He asked. 

He gave his lamb a kiss and smiled before he continued on with his food. My phone rang and Gee let out a scared little shriek before I answered it. 

“Hey, Frank, You wanna go out to the bar tonight?” Evan asked. 

“Sorry, I’m kinda busy with something,” I said. 

“What are you busy with?” Gee asked. 

I glanced at him before turning away. 

“What’s up?” Evan asked. 

“Well, it’s kind of complicated and I don’t know if I would be able to explain it all over the phone,” I said. “But I’ll talk to you later, I promise.”

“Alright, we still up for practice tomorrow?” He asked. 

Practice, shit. And work too!

“Um, can we reschedule?” I asked. 

“Yeah, of course,” he said. “Is everything okay? Is there anything I can help out with?”

I glanced over at Gee, watching him pick up his springroll between two fingers and turn it over so all the inner parts fell out onto his rice before he put the whole shell into his mouth. 

“I-I can handle it,” I said. 

Evan chuckled softly. “Alright, call me if you need anything.”

“Yeah, thanks,” I said before hanging up. 

I watched Gee mix the insides of the springroll in with the rice before taking a big bite. 

“Why were you talking into the square?” Gee asked. “Is your square your friend like how Sebby is my friend?”

“Um, not really,” I said. “This is a cell phone and I used it to talk to my friend Evan.”

“Your square friend is named Evan?” Gee asked, picking up my phone. “Hi Evan! I’m Gee!”

I took my phone back, sighing quietly. 

“Alright, I think that you need a nap, do you wanna take a nap?” I asked and he nodded. “Alright, let’s go then.”

I lead him back to the bedroom and tucked him into bed. He smiled up at me before he closed his eyes, curling up with Sebastian. 

I left him alone, going to wash the dishes. I searched the couch and everywhere I could think of for money. Finally I scraped together just over fifty dollars and sighed. I could try to pick up more shifts at work but then I would have to leave Gee Home alone more. Wait, I can’t keep him home alone at all. 

Fuck, I think my boss would have my ass on a platter if I just brought him into work with me. Also, I don’t think I would be able to manage him and take care of Gee at the same time. I’ll probably need to get a babysitter for him. Who the fuck babysits a twenty year old man?

Maybe Evan’s sister would be willing to do it. I mean, she’s pretty cool and I don’t think she’ll mind. At least I hope she wouldn’t. But wouldn’t I have to pay her?

I sighed, grabbing my phone to call her. 

“Hey, Jamia, can I have a favor?” I asked. 

“What is it?” She asked. 

“Okay, so I need a babysitter while I’m at work and I pay cheap,” I said. 

“Since when have you had a kid?” She asked. 

“I don’t,” I said. “It’s a twenty year old Kidnapping victim and he acts like a child and I can’t leave him home alone and I’m desperate.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s fine,” Jamia said. 

“Oh thank god,” I breathed out. 

“So why is he with you?” She asked. 

“I’ll explain it later,” I said. “But he’s really sweet and cute so I don’t think he’ll give you much of a hard time.”

Oh god, I hope he doesn’t give her a hard time.


	3. Chapter 3

Gee yawned as he woke up. I got his teeth brushed and sat him down at the table in a rush. I got dressed into my work uniform before I handed him a cup of yogurt. Gee looked at it and turned the cup over, letting the yogurt splat onto the table. I sighed quietly as he scooped the yogurt off the table and into his mouth. 

The doorbell rang and I hurried to open it as Gee whimpered in fear. Jamia stood on the front porch and I let out a small sigh of relief as I ran my hand through my brown hair.

“Oh good, I’m running late,” I said, pulling her into my house. “Alright, Gee, this is Jamia, Jamia, this is Gee.”

“Hi, Gee,” Jamia said.

Gee looked up a t her shyly before scooping more yogurt off the table.

“Gee, I have to go to work so she’s going to watch you while I’m gone,” I said. “As soon as the clock on the oven says the number four then I’ll be on my way home, okay?”

Gee nodded, poking the yogurt.

“He should be fine with just his lamb,” I said. “He’ll eat pretty much anything but he’s a little bit peculiar of his food and the way he eats. He’s scared of the tv and alarm clock and the oven and the doorbell and microwave and radio. Anyways, just keep him here and occupied, I’ll be back later.”

“Alright, I’ll see you later,” she said.

“Bye, Gee,” I said before I left.

I got into the car, hurrying down to the shitty McDonald’s that I worked at. I clocked in, grabbed my apron and hat.

“You’re late,” Ray said. 

“I know, trying to get other people up in the morning is a lot more difficult than it sounds,” I said.

Ray didn’t question me as I went over to the window, putting my headset on. The day dragged on until finally I was able to go home. Gee smiled, running over to give me a hug. 

“You’ve been gone for so long!” He exclaimed. “I missed you so much!”

“How was he?” I asked Jamia.

“He was fine, there was a bit of crying and he threw a little fit but he’s fine,” Jamia said. “You were right, he’s really the sweetest person I’ve ever met.”

I smiled, looking down at Gee.

“Were you sweet for Jamia while I was gone?” I asked.

Gee smiled proudly and nodded.

“Good, did you have fun?” I asked.

“Yeah, Jamia taught me how to make a puzzle,” he said. “It was hard, it made my head hurt.”

I smiled, giving Jamia a hug.

“Thanks for watching him,” I said. “Do you think I can pay you for the week on friday?”

“Yes, of course,” she said. “Seriously, Gee is such a sweetheart.”

I gave him a hug and smiled.

“Are Evan and the boys still coming over?” She asked.

“No, I postponed band practice because I didn’t know how Gee would feel about having so many people in the house with really loud instruments playing,” I said. 

“Maybe you can show him your guitar first to see how comfortable he is with it,” Jamia suggested.

I nodded and looked over to where Gee was on the floor playing with his lamb.

“Frank, can you afford to support both you and Gee?” Jamia asked.

“I don’t know,” I mumbled. “I was hoping that maybe I could just pick up extra shifts at work. And who knows, maybe the band will take off and then I can try and get some money from that.”

“The band won’t take off if you keep postponing practice,” she said.

“I know, I just wasn’t expecting Gee to come into my life,” I said. “But once his family comes to get him then he’ll be gone and out of my hair so someone else can take care of him. Do you want some coffee?”

She nodded and I poured both of us cups of coffee.

“So when are they coming to get him then?” Jamia asked.

“I don’t know, they don’t know who his parents are, Gee doesn’t even know who he his, he doesn't know his first or last name, only his nickname,” I said. “They’re going to put posters and notices out for a boy with dark hair and hazel eyes who was kidnapped nineteen years ago.”

“How long do they think it will take?” She asked.

“They have no clue really,” I said. “They’re hoping that the family didn’t give up on finding him and decide to move away to get away from this town where their baby was taken. And it has been nineteen years, that’s almost two whole decades so they think that they have given up and moved away, most families usually give up after one year.”

“Well, even if he does stay here then maybe we can give him a great life,” Jamia said. “Gee was telling me about the funny house and it sounded awful.”

I glanced over at Gee sadly as he sucked on his paci.

“I feel really bad for him,” I mumbled. “He doesn’t even know that he was kidnapped at all. He just thinks that he was always living with some creepy guy. At least the doctors told me that he wasn’t sexually assaulted or anything like that. They aren’t even sure just why he was kidnapped if it was for no reason. Gee was apparently just kept in a room and was fed and that’s the only thing that happened.”

“So he wasn’t raped or beaten or forced to work or anything?” Jamia asked.

“No, he was perfectly fine other than being malnourished,” I said. “Most kidnapping victims have severe depression and PTSD but he doesn’t. They’re thinking maybe stockholm syndrome but they aren’t sure that they can count it as stockholm syndrome because Gee wasn’t just kidnapped and learned to love his captor because he was only a baby so he doesn’t know anything else.”

Jamia reached over to gently squeeze my hand.

“Frankie, what are you drinking?” Gee asked as he walked up to me, clutching Sebastian to his chest.

“It’s coffee,” I said.

“Can I try?” He asked.

“Oh, Gee, I don’t think that you’ll like it,” I said.

Gee gave me a pleading look and I handed him the cup to let him take a sip. His face scrunched up and he turned it over to spill it on the kitchen tile.

I sighed. “No, Gee, you don’t do that if you don’t like something.”

I grabbed a rag, cleaning up the mess on the ground. Gee looked up at me with big, watery eyes.

“A-Are you gonna cry?” I asked. “Oh, please don’t cry.”

“I was a bad boy,” he whimpered.

Gee burst into tears, going to run back into the bedroom.

“Fuck...what just happened?” I mumbled.

“I don’t think he likes getting in trouble,” Jamia said. “Anyways, I have to go now but I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She gave me a hug, kissing my cheek before she left. I went back to the bedroom, opening the door to be find a little circle lump underneath the blanket in the middle of the bed.

“Are you okay, Gee?” I asked.

I sat down at the foot of the bed, looking at the lump in the bed.

“Can you please come out?” I asked.

Gee whined, soft, sad whimpers leaving his mouth. He pulled the blanket off his head and looked at me with tears running down his cheeks.

“It’s okay, Gee, I’m not angry with you,” I said.

“You aren’t?” He asked.

“I’m not,” I said. “But you can’t dump food everywhere, okay?”

Gee nodded and crawled over into my lap. He looked up at me, his eyes big and watery. Gee wrapped his arms around me and buried his face into the crook of my neck. I rubbed his back gently as he cried softly.

“P-please don’t cry,” I whispered. “I promise that I’m not mad at you and you aren’t a bad boy.”

“P-Promise?” He whimpered.

“Yes, of course,” I said.

Gee pulled away and I smiled.

“Guess what, I think that I have some toys from when I was younger,” I said.

I went to my closet and pulled the box from the shelf. I dug inside of it and found random junk that my mom shoved into a box and handed me when she decided to turn my room into a craft room. There were some old baseball trophies I won, action figures, t-shirts, books, bent up cards, an old gamecube controller and a gameboy color. At the bottom I found some toys from my very early childhood and smiled.

“Look, here’s some stuff for you to play with other than Sebastian,” I said.

“But I love Seb Seb,” he said sadly, hugging his lamb.

“I know you do but I have some other things to keep you company and entertain you,” I said. 

I handed him some toys and he looked at them curiously. 

“Did you have fun with Jamia?” I asked. 

“She’s nice,” he said. 

“Good, I’m glad you like her,” I said. “Do you want a snack?”

Gee nodded and I sat him on the couch. I got him some orange slices and sat beside him, watching him eat them carefully. 

“You’re dressed silly,” he said. 

“This is my uniform,” I said.

“Unicorn?” Gee said. 

I chuckled softly and shook my head.

“No, sweetheart, uniform,” I said. “This is what I wear to work so people know that I’m an employee.”

Gee looked confused but didn’t say anything.

“What’s that?” He asked, pointing to my nametag.

“This is my nametag,” I said. “I wear this so that way people know what my name is.”

Gee frowned softly, sighing dramatically as he laid down with his head in my lap.

“I don’t like it here,” he mumbled. “I wanna go back home.”

I frowned softly as I ran my fingers through his hair. He shouldn’t want to go back home to that place, I wanted him to be happy here.


	4. Chapter 4

I sighed as I got home, tossing my hat onto the coffee table. I immediately noticed the empty house and my heart stopped for a moment as I looked around. Gee’s been staying with me for two weeks now and so far it’s been great, I loved having him here.

“Gee?” I called but heard nothing. “Jamia?”

The front door opened and I sighed in relief when I saw them walk in with shopping bags in their hands.

“Woah, what’s all this?” I asked.

“Jamia buyed me clothes and toys,” Gee said.

He went back to the bedroom and I frowned.

“Fuck,” I mumbled. “I can pay you back, how much was it?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jamia said.

“No, you shouldn’t have to pay for all of this,” I said. “Let me pay you, please, I got paid today so I can--”

“Seriously, Frank,” she interrupted. “You don’t need to pay me back, you know I would do anything to help you.”

I nodded my head, giving her a hug.

“You should stay, the guys are coming over for band practice,” I said.

“Really? It’s been awhile since you’ve practiced together,” she said.

“Yeah, I’d love for you to stay,” I said. “And I’m sure that Gee would love having you here too.”

Jamia smiled and nodded her head.

“I’m just glad it’s friday,” I mumbled. “I feel like I’ve just been working non-stop, I didn’t realize how hard it would be trying to work and take care of Gee at the same time.”

Jamia chuckled, sitting down on the couch.

“Seriously though,” I continued, sitting beside her. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

Jamia blushed softly as she looked down. The doorbell rang and I heard a frightful squeak from the bedroom. I opened the door and let in Evan and Matt.

“Where’s Alex?” I asked.

“He said he’d be here in a minute,” Evan said. “Who’s that?”

I looked behind me and saw Gee peeking around the corner nervously. I held out my hand and he hurried over to wrap his arms around me as he looked up at them. He let out a whimper and buried his face into my chest.

“This is Gee,” I said. “Gee, these are my friends, Evan and Matt, and I’m going to have another friend coming named Evan.”

“Hi, Gee,” Matt said but still looked confused.

Gee just let out a whimper and held me tighter.

“Alright, let’s go out to the garage,” I said. “Everything is already set up.”

I tried to walk to the garage but Gee wouldn’t let go. Finally I sighed and just picked him up, letting him wrap his legs around my waist. He buried his face into the crook of my neck as I walked into the garage. Thankfully he was so light it was easy to carry him.

“Gee, you’re gonna have to get down,” I said.

Gee whimpered and shook his head.

“Hey, sweetheart, do you wanna go play in the bedroom?” Jamia asked.

Gee nodded and Jamia took him back into the bedroom. I sighed, picking up my guitar.

“So who is that?” Evan asked.

“That’s Gee,” I said. “I found him in the woods and it turns out that he’s a kidnapping victim. They can’t find his family and he has the mental state of a child and I offered to let him stay here with me until they find his family.”

“Jesus, you’ve really gotten yourself into weird shit this time,” Matt muttered.

I chuckled, plugging in my guitar. 

“He’s actually just really sweet,” I said. “They’re looking everywhere for his family.”

“How long has he been here?” Evan asked.

“Two weeks,” I said. “He’s probably gonna be staying here for a little while.”

“Are you okay with him staying here?” Evan asked.

“Yeah, I am,” I said. “He’s really odd but also really sweet.”

I tuned my guitar and smiled when the door opened and Alex walked in. 

“Frankie,” Gee said as he walked in, tugging on my sleeve, “Can we go cuddle?”

“Gee, I can cuddle with you later,” I said.

“B-but I wanna cuddle now,” he whimpered.

“I know you do,” I said. “And I promise that we will cuddle soon, alright?”

Gee pouted and shook his head.

“Gee, I promise after they leave we can go cuddle,” I said.

Gee’s eyes watered and he was silent for a moment before he burst into tears. I set my guitar down and wrapped my arms around him.

“Please don’t cry,” I whispered.

Gee sobbed, clinging onto my shirt.

“Hey, Gee, watch this,” Evan said.

He strummed his guitar and Gee quieted down, sniffling as he looked over at him. Gee took a few steps forward and looked at his guitar.

“What is this?” He asked.

“It’s a guitar,” Evan said.

Gee sniffled quietly, wiping his eyes as he watched him play. Jamia and Gee sat on the couch watching us practice.

“Also, I want I have a little surprise for you,” Jamia said. “As your band manager I got you the best deal ever.”

“Please tell me it’s not some shitty show again,” Evan mumbled.

“What’s shitty?” Gee asked.

“Oh, Gee, don’t say that, that’s a big boy word,” I said. “Anyways, what’s the surprise?”

“I got you a meeting with a record label that’s interested in you,” Jamia said.

“Are you serious?” I asked. “We’re gonna get signed?”

“They want a thumbnail drive of a few tracks and they want us at the office on Monday morning,” Jamia said.

“All of us?” I asked. “Who’s going to watch Gee?”

“I’m sure he’ll be able to stay home alone for an hour,” Jamia said. “He’ll be fine if just stuck down with his toys and a couple of snacks.”

I nodded my head and set my guitar down. Gee sucked on his thumb as he looked up at me.

“How much do you think they’re willing to sign us?” Evan asked.

“I think the chances are pretty good,” Jamia said. “And then soon you’re gonna be selling albums until you’re drowning in money and going on world tours.”

“That’s amazing, Mia, thank you so much,” I said, giving her a hug. “You’re the best person in the whole world.”

“This is amazing,” Alex said. “We can finally try to make it as a famous band!”

“Beer to celebrate?” Evan asked.

“Yeah, I’ve got some in my fridge,” I said.

We all grabbed beers and soon we were sitting around the garage with music playing in the background as we talked. Gee crawled into my lap, hugging Sebastian tight.

“And I think scheduling a show soon would be great,” Jamia said. “I’ll try to schedule something for next weekend, how does that sound?”

We all agreed and Gee nuzzled against me, picking up my arms to wrap them around him.

“It has to be somewhere close,” I said. “I don’t want Gee alone that late at night for so long, maybe he can hang out with you at the show?”

Jamia smiled and nodded. “The two of us will have so much fun together watching you perform.”

I looked down and smiled softly when I saw Gee sleeping peacefully in my arms. I set my beer down onto the coffee table and picked him up, carrying him into the bedroom. I sighed quietly when I saw bags and clothes strewn around the room where Gee must’ve thrown them around. I set him down onto the bed, trying to get him undressed as he whined unhappily. I got him into his pajamas and tucked him into the bed before heading back out to the garage.

“Gee seems to really like you,” Matt remarked.

“Well, I did kind of save him, I’m sure he would like me,” I said.

“Yeah, but maybe he likes you more than you think,” he said.

I rolled my eyes. “He’s only known me for two weeks. Besides, he has the mentality of a five year old, he doesn’t know what liking someone that way is.”

“Anyways,” Jamia said, “You guys have to make sure that you’re ready for the meeting. You four need to woo them and get signed. I’ll be there too but as your manager I can only do so much so you need to convince them to sign you onto their record label.”

Matt nodded and looked at his watch.

“I should get going,” he said.

“Me too,” Evan agreed as he stood up.

“I can help you with your drumset,” Alex offered.

The three of them left and soon I was just left alone with Jamia and beer. 

“Thanks for the meeting, you’re really helping my dream come true,” I said. “If I had never met you then I would still just be some lonely guy working at McDonald’s while playing guitar in front of my mirror while pretending to be famous like a teenage boy.”

Jamia smiled, reaching over to hold my hand.

“Seriously, I couldn’t imagine ever doing anything better with my life,” she said.

“Do you wanna go put on a movie?” I asked. “We can watch Friday the 13th.”

“You know that’s my favorite movie,” Jamia said. 

I smiled and we went inside. She put on the movie for us while I grabbed some popcorn and more beer. We curled up under a blanket and Jamia smiled over at me, resting her head on my shoulder as the movie started. I smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She fell asleep halfway through the movie and I smiled down at her. 

I laid her down on the couch, pulling a blanket over her. I turned off the tv and cleaned everything up before I shut off the lights and went back to the bedroom. I pulled on some pajama pants and a t-shirt before I crawled into bed beside Gee. I’ve given up trying to get him to sleep on the couch, he only wants to sleep in my bed with me. 

“Cuddles time,” Gee mumbled sleepily.

Gee curled up to me, his head resting on my chest as we both fell asleep together.


	5. Chapter 5

I yawned as I woke up, smiling as I looked over at Gee. He just looked at me with a pout as he looked at me, crossing his arms

“Oh god, what have I done now?” I mumbled.

“My tummy is hungry, it needs yummies,” he said.

I yawned as sat up, rubbing my eyes. I brought him out to the kitchen and saw Jamia still asleep on the couch.

“What do you want for breakfast?” I asked.

“Pan cakes,” he said.

I nodded, going to the stove to cook. When I glanced over at Gee I saw him getting closer to Jamia and I sighed.

“Let her sleep, don’t wake her up,” I said.

Gee nodded and sat at the table with Sebastian. I gave him a sippy cup of apple juice and made three plates of chocolate chip pancakes. Gee doused his in maple syrup before eating happily. Jamia woke up, yawning as she looked around.

“Shit, I fell asleep,” she mumbled. “Oh god, I probably look like a mess.”

“You look amazing as always,” I said.

Jamia blushed as she came over to sit at the table with us.

“Good morning,” she said.

“Morning,” Gee said, covered in sticky syrup that dribbled down his cheek.

We finished eating and Jamia stood up.

“I should really get going now,” Jamia said. “Sorry again for falling asleep.”

“Don’t worry, you’re welcome here whenever you want,” I said, giving her a hug before she left. “And now we need to get you cleaned up.”

I brought Gee to the bathroom, running a hot bubble bath for him. Gee took a bath while I washed the dishes and sat down on the couch to watch the news. Gee came out in a towel and I grabbed some clothes for him, helping him to get dressed into a pastel purple dress. He snuggled up onto the couch with me, looking at the tv nervously.

“It won’t hurt you,” I promised, wrapping an arm around him.

Gee smiled up at me, resting his head on my shoulder.

“What’s this?” He asked.

“It’s the news,” I said.

“It’s boring,” he stated.

I changed to some cartoons and he gasped excitedly. Gee happily watched the show while my mind started to drift off. Jamia was getting us a meeting with an actual record label in just two days. Maybe this can be our big break to becoming famous. We could have sold out shows and play at Madison Square Garden. And then as soon as Gee is gone with his family I could go on tour with the band and have the life I always dreamed of.

“Frankie?” Gee asked, tugging on my sleeve.

I hummed, looking over at him as I was pulled out of my daydream.

“Evan is making a sound,” he said, pointing to my phone.

I picked it up and answered it, pressing it to my ear.

“Hey, Frank, do you think you could cover an hour of my lunch shift?” Ray asked. “I promise I’ll owe you one, I’ll take your last hour of the day of Friday.”

“Alright, that’s fine,” I said.

I hung up and sighed. A little bit later I was dressed in my uniform and grabbed a pair of Gee’s shoes. I helped put them on him and held his hand, bringing him outside. Gee looked around excitedly as we walked. He skipped beside me until we got to the restaurant and he looked around curiously.

“You’re going to sit here and play while you eat and wait for me,” I said.

Gee nodded and I sat him down in the booth in the corner. I ran into the back to grab him a burger and fries before I took my spot behind the counter. I took orders while keeping on eye on Gee, watching him take every piece of the burger apart and eat them individually. The weirdest part was when he started licking his fries.

“Who’s that?” Lindsey asked.

“He is...a long story,” I said.

“Boyfriend?” Lindsey guessed.

“No, definitely not,” I said. “He’s just someone that I’m currently housing.”

“He’s a little odd,” Lindsey said.

“He’s very odd but in the most perfect way, he’s so sweet,” I said.

Some lady came up and I took her order before I went back to watch Gee from behind the register. He finished his food and I cleaned up his table while he played with Sebastian.

“How much longer are we here?” Gee asked.

“Not long, I promise,” I said, kissing the top of his head. 

He smiled up at me, holding up Sebastian. I gave his lamb a kiss too and he giggled happily. I went back to where Lindsey was and I leaned against the counter.

“He’s cute,” Lindsey said. “He’s like a toddler.”

“Yeah, basically,” I muttered. 

“You should get him a happy meal toy,” Lindsey suggested.

I nodded as Ray walked in.

“God, thank you, I so owe you,” he said.

I swiped a toy before going over to where Gee was.

“Come on, let’s go home,” I said.

Gee held my hand happily as we walked out of the building.

“What’s that?” He gasped.

“That’s a squirrel,” I said, looking at the little animal run up a tree.

“Squill,” Gee gasped.

I chuckled softly over at him. God he’s adorable.

“I like squills,” he said. “Squills are cute! Can I have a squill?”

“No, I’m sorry,” I said. “That would be pretty cool but we can’t have a pet squirrel.

“Why not?” He asked.

Because squirrels don’t make very good pets, I’m not sure where I would even get one,” I said. “Unless we just trapped one and kept it in our house but it would be chaotic with that thing running around.”

Gee swung our hands as he smiled up at me.

“Do you wanna go to the park?” I asked.

“What’s that?” He asked.

I smiled and turned a different direction. We got to a little park and Gee looked around at the empty place nervously.

“Wh-what’s that?” He asked, pointing to the slide.

I took his hand, bringing him to the top of the playset. I sat him down on the top of the slide and tried to push him down but he refused to budge. I sighed and sat beside him, my legs on either side of him as I held his shoulders. I pushed us down and he shrieked happily. We got to the bottom and Gee dragged me back up to the top so we could go again. He made me go down the slide until I lost count and was growing tired but his happy giggles made it so I never wanted to stop.

“Alright, alright, are you hungry?” I asked when we got to the bottom of the slide again.

“My tummy says no,” he replied.

I chuckled softly, stopping him when he tried to pull me up to the top again.

“Are you sure your tummy isn’t hungry?” I asked.

“Tummy not hungry,” he pouted.

“Gee, we should get home, it’s starting to get late,” I said, looking out at the sun that was beginning to set.

“No, not going,” he pouted. “We slide.”

“No, we aren’t sliding anymore,” I stated. “We’re going home.”

Gee looked at me and that’s when I realized my mistake because he was very obviously about to throw a fit. He burst into tears, throwing Sebastian on the ground as he ran away. My eyes widened and I grabbed his stuffie before running to chase after him. I made it to the woods and looked around, trying to figure out where he was.

“Gee!” I called. “Gee!”

I heard nothing and couldn’t find him anywhere as I ran around, weaving in between trees and rocks. It grew darker and even harder to see the longer I couldn’t find him.

“Gee! Come out!” I shouted.

Panic was coursing through my body as my heart raced, dread turning me ice cold.

“Please, w-we can go back on the slide,” I begged.

I looked around but still couldn’t find him anywhere. I grabbed my phone and called Jamia.

“Gee got upset and ran away and I can’t find him and I need help because it’s dark and late and he’s all alone and--”

“Where are you?” She asked.

“I’m at the playground near my house,” I said.

“Alright, stay there,” she said. “I’m going to stop by your house to see if he went there and then I’m going to join you.”

I sighed and hung up, looking around. It grew colder and colder and I knew Gee would probably be freezing right now.

“Gee!” I called.

Twenty minutes later Jamia was with me helping me look for Gee.

“Hey, you need to stop panicking,” Jamia said. “Freaking out isn’t going to help you find him at all. You need to calm down.”

She handed me two thermoses and I frowned in confusion.

“Coffee is for us to share and hot chocolate to try and coax Gee out wherever he is,” she explained.

I nodded and took a drink of the coffee that seemed to warm me from the inside out before I handed it to her.

“Gee! I have hot chocolate!” I called. “You don’t know what that is but I promise it’s good!”

We looked around until it was already ten at night and by that point I was almost in tears.

“Wh-what if he’s hurt?” I asked. “What if he gets kidnapped again? Oh god, maybe he’s dead! He’s never gonna come home and he’s gonna be hurt because of me!”

“Frank, Frank, calm down,” she said. “We’ll find him.”

We walked around, trying to look for him everywhere as we called for him. I heard quiet crying and ran towards the sound as my legs ached. I found Gee curled up next to a garbage can in someone’s backyard as he sobbed. I wrapped my arms around him, picking him up as he clung to me tight.

“I’ve got you,” I whispered.

“Come on, I’ll drive you guys home,” Jamia said.

I nodded and I sat in the backseat of her car with Gee. He sat in my lap and quietly drank the hot chocolate as he sniffled. I rubbed his arms, trying to warm him up as he shivered. We got back to my house and I kissed Jamia’s cheek before carrying him inside. 

“Gee, you can’t run away like that,” I said.

Gee sniffled and nodded his head, hugging me close. Losing him tonight was one of the scariest things that has ever happened to me and I didn’t want to lose him again.


	6. Chapter 6

I woke Gee up, listening to his tired whining. I carried him out and sat him down at the table. I made him some cereal and when I turned around he was curled up on top of the table asleep.

“Gee,” I sighed.

The door opened and Jamia walked in with the rest of the guys and I sighed.

“Come on, Gee, you have to eat,” I said

He whined as I got him back into his seat and put his bowl in front of him.

“Morning, Gee,” Evan said, rubbing Gee’s hair.

They all said hello to him as he just whined unhappily.

“So what do we even wear?” I asked.

“Well, you don’t need suits but at least wear something relatively nice,” Jamia said. “No dirty hoodies or the one that says ‘cunt’ on it, and most definitely not the ‘Jesus is a cunt’ one.”

“Hey, you’re the one always stealing my cunt hoodie,” I said. “And I lost that other hoodie.”

“Well good, don’t wear it,” she said. “Go put on one of your flannels. But knowing you you’ll probably wear a long sleeve with the flannel and a cardigan and a jacket.”

I chuckled softly, going back to get dressed. I put on a black t-shirt, a grey flannel and my black leather jacket with some black jeans and my doc martens. I went back out and smiled softly when I saw Evan playing with Sebastian, making him dance on the table while Gee giggled.

“I don’t think I’m ready,” I mumbled as I poured myself some coffee.

“You’re ready,” Jamia said as she walked over. “You’ve been dreaming of this moment ever since you were eleven and joined your first band. You are going to kill it.”

She kissed my cheek gently and I smiled.

“You look cute,” I said.

Jamia blushed as she looked down. She had on a black dress with a pink blouse, a black cardigan, translucent black tights and black heeled boots.

“You should wear that color more, it looks good on you,” I said.

Jamia opened her mouth to say something when Gee interrupted her.

“I’m done eating,” he said.

I went over, grabbing his bowl to put it in the sink. I grabbed the flip phone from the counter and handed it to him.

“Gee, you press this button when you need to call me but only if it’s an emergency,” I said. “And only answer it if my name is there.”

“What’s your name?” Gee asked.

“My name is Frank, you know that,” I said.

“What is that in written?” Gee asked.

“Gee, do you know how to read?” I asked and he shook his head. “Alright just don’t answer the phone unless it says this.”

I wrote my name down and he nodded.

“I won’t be gone for long, I promise,” I said. “You have your toys and your paci and Seb Seb, I promise I’ll be back soon.”

Gee nodded and I kissed his cheek. We all got into the car and I bit my lip nervously.

“You have the thumb drive?” Jamia asked and I nodded.

“Oh god, I think I might be sick,” I mumbled.

“We’ve got this, Frank,” Matt said, patting my shoulder.

“Yeah, we’re gonna kill it,” Alex agreed.

I smiled softly, nodding my head. We got to a building and I looked around curiously as we walked through the halls to an office. We sat down in front of Bob Bryars, the owner of Raw Stereo Records.

“So, what do you guys call yourselves again?” Bob asked.

“Frnkiero andthe cellabration,” I said.

Bob nodded, writing something down.

“Well, tell me about yourselves then,” he said.

“W-well, I play guitar and I’m the lead singer,” I said. “Oh, a-and my name is Frank.”

“You can relax,” Bob said with a small chuckle. “This isn’t an interrogation. We just want to get to know people before we sign them. If you’re passionate then you have a really good chance.”

The others introduced themselves and I bit my lip.

“So, tell me your story,” he said.

“Well, I-I got into music when I was really young, my dad and grandpa were both musicians,” I said. “And we started this band about a year ago. I’ve been friends with Jamia for a while now and her brother and I decided to start a band together and we got some of our other buddies to join us. And we’ve been looking to be signed for a while now and we’re so lucky to have this meeting, you have one of the best record label in the countries.”

“Kiss ass, huh?” Bob remarked and I felt my heart stop in sheer terror. “Well, everyone likes a kiss ass every now and then.”

I nodded my head, relaxing slightly.

“We are very interested in you and that’s why you’re getting this meeting,” he said and I nodded. “But we’re also talking to a lot of people so why do you think we should sign you?”

I felt the pressure wash over me but somehow words seemed to come out of my mouth without even thinking about it.

“It’s our dream,” I said. “We’ve been working for this so hard, dreaming about it since middle school. We work hard, these people are some of the most dedicated people I know and we all love music, we live and breathe it and we want nothing more than to make people happy.”

Bob smiled. “That’s what we like to hear. At this label we really do want the music to be about the music and not the money.”

I smiled, playing with the sleeves of my shirt. My phone rang and I saw it was Gee. He knows to only if it’s an emergency.

“I’m sorry, I need to take this. I-it’s my doctor,” I lied.

Jamia shook her head at me but I went out to the hall and answered anyways.

“Gee, what’s wrong?” I asked.

“Frankie? Where are you?” Gee asked.

“I have a meeting, I told you this,” I said.

“But where are you, you’re not in the room, how do I hears you?” He asked.

“Through the phone, I explained this to you,” I said.

“I have my own Evan?” Gee asked.

“Why are you calling me?” I sighed.

“I missed you,” he said.

“No, Gee, you don’t call to tell me you miss me,” I said. “It’s sweet and I miss you too but I’m doing something very important right now so you can’t call me.”

I heard a quiet whimper and sniffling from the other end of the line.

“Gee, I have to go now, I’ll see you soon,” I said.

I hung up and hurried back into the office where they were talking.

“And Frank here has been in a total of how many bands?” Jamia asked.

“Uh, this is my seventh one now,” I said.

“That just shows how dedicated and passionate he is,” Jamia said. “As soon as one band fails he doesn’t give up, he gets up and starts again as he tries his hardest. He’s stubborn and obnoxious but you can count on him to work his hardest and give it his all. He is headstrong and talented and the most amazing person that I have ever met, you would be crazy not to sign him.”

I looked over at her and smiled as she squeezed my hand.

“We’ll listen to your stuff and if it’s good then you’ll be getting a call in two days,” he said. “But remember, this means we’re going to try and create a tour soon so you have to be able to drop everything and go on the road, nothing can hold you guys back, it’s a big commitment so if you had any other time consuming commitments then I suggest that you make solutions to get them out of the way. I want 100% commitment and intense focus.”

Time consuming commitments? Gee…

“You don’t have to worry, they would do anything,” Jamia said.

We ended the meeting and we got into the car.

“What about Gee?” I asked. 

“We’ll work it out,” she said. “There are some workers from the label coming to your show to see you perform on Friday to see how you perform live.”

I nodded my head, sighing quietly. 

“Let’s go to the bar and celebrate,” Matt suggested.

“It’s too early to celebrate,” Jamia said. “The celebrating will have to wait until Friday night.”

We got home and I hurried in to Gee. I looked around and found him curled in bed as he cried.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” I asked.

“You’re mad at me,” he whimpered.

“No I’m not,” I said, wrapping my arms around him. “I promise that I’m not mad, you’re so perfect, you’re my little princess.”

Gee looked at me as he smiled.

“I am? Really? I’m your little princess?” He asked.

“Yes, you’re my princess,” I said, wrapping my arms around him.

Gee giggled happily, hugging me tight.

“What’s a meat-ing?” Gee asked.

“Nothing, I was just going somewhere to talk about my music,” I said.

“The music is that thingy you do with those loud things,” he said.

“Yes, that’s music,” I said.

“I don’t like it,” he said. “Too loud. I don’t like music.”

I smiled softly, running my fingers through his hair.

“You’re the cutest,” I mumbled.

Gee smiled, nuzzling his head against me.

“I missed you so much,” he said. “I just kept looking at the clock because I wanted you to come home. Sebastian missed you too, right, Seb Seb?”

“I miss you too, Sebastian,” I said, giving Sebastian a kiss.

“Wh-what about my kissies?” Gee whimpered.

I smiled and kissed his forehead. Gee squealed happily, wrapping his arms around my neck as he tackled me in a big hug. I chuckled softly, gently rubbing his back. They wanted us to go on tour soon and focus more on music but I have Gee right now. But that means I either let Gee go and have someone else take care of him until he leaves or I give up music.


	7. Chapter 7

Gee clung to me nervously as we walked towards where the crowd was cheering as the lights dimmed. He had on those noise canceling headphones that kids usually wear at concerts and he looked so cute with them on. 

“Come on, you’re staying here with Jamia,” I said.

Jamia held his hand and pulled him closer to her. We went onstage and people cheered. I grabbed my guitar, putting the strap over my shoulder. I looked at Gee, who cowered against Jamia nervously. Clearly the energetic crowd was scaring him. I told him he could go wait back in the dressing room but he didn’t want to, he wanted to be as close to me as he possibly could.

The performance seemed to go by so fast, as I gave it my all, pouring my heart and soul into the performance. Sweat covered me as I walked offstage and I smiled at Jamia and Gee.

“I am going to go talk to the record label,” Jamia said as she hurried off.

I gave Gee a hug but he shrieked and pulled away because I was too sweaty. We went back to the dressing room and I grabbed a water bottle, drinking half of it quickly. Gee looked up at me curiously, holding Sebastian to his chest.

“What’d you think?” I asked

“It wasn’t good,” Gee said. “Too loud and I didn’t understand anything you saysed.”

I chuckled softly and kissed his forehead. Jamia walked in with a big smile on her face. She smiled, one arm looping around mine and the other looping around her brother’s.

“So? What’d they say?” I asked.

We all looked at her in anticipation as she waited for dramatic suspense.

“Guess who just got you signed to Raw Stereo Records!” Jamia exclaimed.

Everyone cheered and screamed as I grabbed Jamia’s face, giving her a big, rough kiss. I pulled away and hugged the other members of my band as she stood in slight shock.

“Let’s go to the bar now to celebrate,” Matt said.

I nodded my head, holding Gee’s hand. We got everything cleaned up before we went back to the car. We went to a bar and we were all sitting around as we talked.

“So, I’m thinking a short East Coast tour,” Jamia said. “It’d be great for publicity. And then we can try to get you on tour opening for another band. Maybe even one that goes around the country.”

“We should design shirts,” Alex said excitedly.

I nodded my head, looking over at Gee. He was looking down at Sebastian sadly as he gently pet his fur. 

“What’s wrong?” I asked quietly.

Gee shrugged and I reached over to hold his hand. He pulled his hand away and I frowned softly.

“What happened?” I asked. “Is something wrong?”

I looked at my watch and frowned.

“Oh, it’s past your bedtime,” I remarked. “We should get you home.”

Gee nodded and I rubbed his back.

“Hey, we’re gonna head off,” I said.

“Are you sure?” Jamia asked. “D-don’t you want to stay? We just got here.”

“Sorry, it’s past Gee’s bedtime,” I said.

“I can drive you home,” Jamia offered.

“Nonsense, you stay here and celebrate and have fun, it isn’t that far from home,” I said.

I held Gee’s hand and we walked out of the bar. It was starting to get a little bit chilly so I took off my jacket and put it on Gee instead. Gee held my hand tight as we walked in the dark. He leaned closer to me and I moved my arm to wrap around his waist.

“I’m tired,” he whined.

I picked him up and cradled him in my arms. Thankfully he was still so light as I carried him home. I changed him into some pajamas and tucked him into bed. I changed, curling into bed with him. I was still so worn out from performing that I fell asleep quickly.

I woke up to Gee straddling my hips and I frowned in confusion. I yawned, rubbing my eyes as I looked up at him.

“What are you doing?” I mumbled.

“There’s something scary outside,” he whimpered.

I got up and he pulled me to the kitchen and pointed out the backdoor. I saw a deer in my backyard and frowned softly.

“It’s just a deer,” I mumbled. “And oh god it’s six in the morning. Gee, I’m tired.”

I went back and crawled into bed. Gee joined me, snuggling up close to me.

“Why was that thingy last night so important?” He asked.

“It’s because now I get to be signed to a major record label,” I said. “And that means that I can actually have a career as a musician.”

“What’s that?” Gee asked.

“Well, it basically means that I can do what I did last night everyday,” I said. “It’s basically just my dream. That reminds me, I should call my dad. Mm, first I wanna get some more sleep.”

I was only able to doze off for a little bit longer before I woke up again to a sound from my living room. I sighed quietly and stood up, walking out to inspect the sound. In the other room I saw Gee standing on my coffee table with my guitar.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“I’m you!” Gee said proudly.

I smiled softly and kiss his cheek, going to the kitchen. I called my dad while I made waffles, holding my phone between my ear and my shoulder.

“Hey, Frank,” my dad said. “Is everything alright? We were just about to head to church.”

“Yeah, everything’s fine, it’s actually amazing,” I said. “Yesterday I got a deal to sign with Raw Stereo Records.”

It was silent for a moment.

“Are you fucking serious?” He asked.”That’s amazing! Oh my god! Tell your mother!”

He handed the phone to her and I repeated the news. I could hear cheering and squealing and I smiled happily.

“Your grandpa would be so proud of you,” My mom said. “Oh, I’m so proud of you too. My sweet baby is gonna be famous!”

“There’s still a lot to do,” I said. “I’m not just instantly famous. We have another meeting on Monday to discuss the contract and sign it and then it’s official and hopefully one of us don’t do something to student to get us dropped.”

“How’s Jamia?” My mom asked. “I haven’t seen her in a while.”

“She’s great,” I said and I glanced over at Gee, who was trying to play the guitar. “The rest of the band is pretty great too, we’re all really excited.”

“I’m sure you are, I want to come over for dinner one day,” she said. “We have to go now.”

“Alright, bye, mom, I love you,” I said.

I hung up and sighed as Gee came closer.

“What were you talking to your Evan about?” Gee asked.

“That was my parents, I was just telling them about the record label,” I said.

Gee looked at me, confusion evident as he stared at me blankly.

“Squill!” He gasped. 

He ran to the backyard towards the squirrel but ran right into the sliding glass door. He burst into tears as he held his nose. Blood dripped down his chin and I gasped. Gee screamed when he saw the blood, his whole face going pale.

“Wh-what is this?!” He shrieked.

“Don’t worry, it’s just a bloody nose,” I said.

Gee seemed to get paler and paler and the next thing I knew he was passed out. I laid him down on the couch, holding a rag to his nose to try and stop the bleeding. Thankfully it stopped and I cleaned him up before I left him on the couch peacefully. I finished cooking and sighed as I looked over at Gee.

“Gee,” I whispered, shaking him lightly.

Gee woke up, whining as he held his nose. I gave him an ice pack and we sat down at the table with food. He looked at the waffle, poking each individual square indent before he flipped it over and did the same with the other side. He then put a little pool into each indent and finally seemed satisfied enough to start eating.

“It’s square pan cake,” he said.

“Yeah, they’re really similar,” I said.

Gee smiled happily, eating quickly. I made more when he finished because he was still hungry and when he was done with that I brought him to the bathroom. I got him down to his panties and helped him onto his scale. He’s gained almost ten pounds now and I was so excited. He was getting healthier, which was definitely needed. 

“Good boy,” I muttered.

He smiled proudly but didn’t seem to know what he actually did. I got him dressed and he whined when I tried to pull one of his sweaters over his head.

“What?” I asked.

“I don’t wanna wear that sweater,” he pouted.

“Fine, you can dress yourself,” I said.

I went out and sat on the couch, turning on the news. Gee came out a few minutes later and I smiled softly. He was wearing one of my black shirts, a pink hat, a pair of pink winter gloves, a pink tutu, one purple thigh high sock and one white knee high sock.

“You’re so cute,” I said.

Gee snuggled up beside me and giggled.

“Frankie, why did you kiss Jamia yesterday?” Gee asked.

“I don’t know, I guess I was just really excited,” I said.

“I didn’t like that,” Gee said. “I want your kissies for only me.”

I held his hand, giving it a soft squeeze. I reached over to hold his hand and smiled.

“Don’t worry, you don’t have to be jealous,” I said. “You’re my little princess and you are my only princess.”

Gee nodded, snuggling up close to my side. I wrapped an arm around him and he giggled happily, kissing my cheek. We cuddled together on the couch, spending the day playing and laughing.


	8. Chapter 8

I walked inside and smiled when I saw Gee.

“Guess what, I got you a gift,” I said.

Jamia smiled as Gee ran over to me. I held out the stuffie and Gee screamed, making both of us flinch.

“Squill!” He shrieked.

He hugged the squirrel stuffie tight in his arms as he squealed.

“Squill, you have to meet Sebby!” Gee exclaimed.

Gee ran off back to the bedroom and I smiled as Jamia walked over.

“You know that new movie is coming out tonight,” Jamia said.

“The one with the detective?” I asked and she nodded. “Shit, I totally wanna see that.”

“We should go together tonight,” Jamia suggested.

“Yeah, definitely,” I agreed.

Jamia lit up as she smiled.

“Although I don’t think Gee would like it,” I said.

“Evan can watch her,” Jamia said. “I’ll call him.” 

I nodded my head and went back to the bedroom, finding Gee making Sebastian and his squirrel talk to each other.

“Hey, Gee, how do you feel about Evan coming over to play with you?” Frank asked.

“Play with you and me?” He asked.

“No, I won’t be home, it’s like how Jamia babysits you,” I said.

Gee looked a little nervous but nodded anyways. Jamia walked in and smiled.

“He agreed,” Jamia said. “I’m gonna run home to grab a shower and get ready.”

“Alright, I’ll pick you up later,” I said. 

She kissed my cheek before leaving. I smiled and walked out to the kitchen. Gee came in and sat on the couch, pointing the remote at the tv.

“Why doesn’t big Evan work?” He asked.

“You have to press a button, you don’t just point it,” I said.

I helped turn on the tv for him and turned to some cartoons. Gee ended up falling asleep as I cooked, making a pan of lasagna. When Evan came in I smiled, letting him in.

“So, I made dinner,” I said. “It’s in the oven and I’m not sure if Gee likes it or not but he probably will. If he doesn’t then I’m sure he would be happy with just a bowl of ramen, which are in the cabinet at the top. He likes apple juice the most but do not give him coffee, I learned that the hard way from him dumping it everywhere.”

Evan chuckled softly as he tossed his jacket onto the armchair.

“He shouldn’t need a bath tonight but make sure that he’s in bed by nine,” I said. “He’ll probably start dozing off just a little bit before then. We probably won’t be gone long, but we’ll be gone until after he goes to sleep.”

“We’ll be fine,” Evan said. “Go have fun.”

I nodded and I gave Gee a hug.

“Alright, sweetheart, I have to go now,” I said.

“Bye bye,” he said, kissing my cheek.

I walked out and went to go pick Jamia up. When she opened her door I saw her wearing a simple light pink dress with a black jacket and black boots.

“You look so cute,” I said.

She blushed softly, shutting and locking the door behind her. We drove to the theater, both of us singing along to music at the top of our lungs as we laughed. We got to the theater and I bought two tickets for us.

“You want some snacks?” I asked.

“How about we get some popcorn to share, some drinks and some candy,” she said. 

I nodded and the two of us got our food before we sat down in our seats in the correct theater. 

“God, I love popcorn,” I muttered as I scooped a handful out of the bucket. 

Jamia giggled, watching me try and eat all of it.

“You’re so weird,” Jamia muttered with a smile.

I smiled back as the lights dimmed and the movie started. We leaned back in our seats as everyone quieted down. The movie was action packed, which was both of some of our types favorite movies. The more action the better. Jamia held out her box of Swedish Fish and I smiled as I took a little red gummy fish. She smiled, resting her head on my shoulder as we watched the movie.

“That was good,” I said when the movie finished.

I looked at my watch and sighed when I saw it was just past eleven, the movie lasted longer than I thought.

“Yeah, I liked it a lot,” Jamia said.

I stood up and stretched before letting her lead the way to the stairs. I put my jacket on her when we got outside and she blushed, pulling it tighter around her. It was starting to get cold out now as autumn came. I walked with Jamia across the courtyard until we got back to the car. I drove her home, walking her up to her front door.

“Thanks for this, it was a lot of fun,” she said.

“Of course, I feel like it’s been forever since we’ve hung out together alone, we haven’t ever since Gee came,” I said. “We should do this again and soon hopefully.”

“Yeah, we really should,” Jamia agreed.

Her front porch light let a soft glow over us as she looked up at me. Jamia looked up at me nervously before she leaned up and pressed her lips against mine. She gave me a soft kiss and I felt myself freeze in shock. When I realized just what was happening I took a small step back.

“Mia,” I said softly.

“O-oh god, I’ve been reading this all wrong, haven’t I?” She asked. “I-I can’t believe I just did this. I’m so dumb.”

“No you aren’t,” I denied. “I-I just don’t feel the same way, you’re my best friend.”

Jamia sniffled as she looked down and I caressed her cheek gently. She pulled away, looking up at me as her eyes watered.

“Please, Jamia,” I whispered. “You’re my best friend.”

“I-I’m gonna go now,” she whimpered.

I sighed quietly and nodded my head, watching her walk inside. I got back into my car and drove home quickly. Evan was watching tv when I walked in and he smiled.

“Hey, how was the movie?” He asked.

“Fine,” I muttered. “How was Gee?”

“He was really sweet,” Evan said. “He’s asleep now and he’s missing you a lot. I should get going now, I’ll talk to you later.”

I nodded, locking the door behind him as I sighed. I changed and went back to the bedroom before curling up with Gee in bed, smiling softly as I wrapped an arm around his waist. I pulled him back against me so his back was to my front so I could spoon him.

“Frankie?” Gee mumbled sleepily.

“Hey, sweetheart,” I whispered. “Sorry for waking you, just go back to sleep.”

Gee nodded and yawned, scooting back against me. He smiled and turned around in my arms, snuggling up against me. Gee fell asleep quickly and even though he was drooling on my chest I couldn’t help but smile at how cute he was as I fell asleep with him.

In the morning I just kept thinking about Jamia as I made breakfast. She was so heart broken when I rejected her last night. I didn’t even know she liked me at all. Maybe I led her on? Oh god, I didn’t mean to lead her on. She’s been my best friend ever since high school. She was my best friend in the whole world and I didn’t want to just lose her because of this. 

I gave Gee his french toast as he sat at the table and he inspected the ‘funny colored bread’ carefully before going to dowse it in syrup. I grabbed my phone and went back to the bedroom to call Jamia. I got her voicemail and sighed.

“Please, Mia, I’m sorry,” I said. “Please call me back. I’m sorry for what happened last night, I shouldn’t have just led you on like that, it’s my fault, you deserve someone so much better than me. And I don’t want this to ruin things between us, you’re my best friend and I don’t want to lose you. I need you in my life, I really do. I love you as a friend and I need you in my life. Please just, please just call me. We can forget everything that happened if you want. Or if you don’t want to forget it then we can just like talk about it or--”

The voicemail ended and I sighed when it cut me off. I went back out and saw the french toast on the floor.

“Why’d you do that?” I asked.

“Doesn’t taste like bread,” he said.

“I’ve already told you not to throw the food on the fucking ground,” I said.

Gee looked at me, his eyes watering from my sharp tone.

“B-but it doesn’t taste like bread,” he whimpered “It looks like bread but it doesn’t taste like it.”

“That’s because it’s not supposed to taste like fucking bread,” I muttered.

I cleaned up the mess while I heard footsteps leave. I sighed as I sat on the couch, turning on the tv. I stayed there for a little bit before Gee came back in, tears running down his cheeks with a paper in his hands. 

“I-I made you a picture to say I’m sorry,” he whimpered.

He sat down on my lap and showed me the crude drawing of a little flower, which was really just mostly scribbles with his crayons.

“I’m sorry, Gee, I didn’t mean to take my anger out on you, I’m not mad at you,” I said, kissing his cheek. “I’m just mad at myself.”

“Why?” Gee asked.

“Just because I wasn’t very nice to Jamia yesterday and I accidentally hurt her feelings,” I said. “And I’m really mad at myself for being mean to her.”

“Why would you be mean to her?” Gee asked.

“I didn’t mean to, it’s just that...nevermind, you wouldn’t understand,” I mumbled.

“S-so you’re not mad at me?” He whimpered.

“No, Princess, I’m not mad at you,” I said. “I’m sorry.”

I kissed his cheek, wrapping my arms around him as I held him tight in my arms. I don’t ever want to be the reason that he cries again.


	9. Chapter 9

I was woken up to screaming and crying that startled me so much I almost fell out of the bed. Gee sobbed, hugging his knees to his chest.

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” I asked, wrapping my arms around him.

“I-I had a bad dream,” he cried.

“It’s not real, Baby Boy,” I whispered. “I’ve got you.”

Gee sniffled and I ran my fingers through his hair.

“Go back to sleep, sweetheart,” I whispered.

“No, too scary,” he whimpered.

“Do you want me to sing you a little song?” I asked.

“No, I don’t like your singing,” he said.

I chuckled softly and grabbed the acoustic guitar that was leaning against the wall.

“I think you’ll like this song,” I said. “Just lay down and relax.”

Gee nodded, laying on his back with one arm wrapped around Sebastian and the around his squirrel, who he decided to name ‘Squilly’.

“Blackbird singing in the dead of night,” I sang softly as I strummed and Gee looked at me in interest. “Take these broken wings and learn to fly, all your life. You were only waiting for this moment to arise. Blackbird singing in the dead of night. Take these sunken eyes and learn to see, all your life. You were only waiting for this moment to be free.”

“This one isn’t as bad as your other music,” Gee mumbled sleepily.

I chuckled softly, shaking my head as I continued. “Blackbird fly, blackbird fly, into the light of the dark black night. Blackbird fly, blackbird fly, into the light of the dark black night…”

I trailed off when I saw Gee had fallen asleep. I smiled, gently kissing his forehead. I set my guitar down and laid beside him, gently wrapping my arms around him. I didn’t go back to sleep that night, I just laid there watching him sleep quietly as I ran my fingers through his hair slowly. When the sun started to rise he looked up at me, a small, sleepy smile on his face.

“Good morning,” I whispered.

Gee giggled, wrapping his arms around my neck. He snuggled up with me and I smiled as I curled up with him in the bed. 

“I don’t wanna get up alls day today,” Gee said.

“I think we can do that,” I agreed.

I turned on the tv and sat up against the headboard. Gee sat with his back against my chest between my legs while I wrapped my arms around him. I got us food when we were hungry but other than that I just stayed watched tv. It wasn’t until later that I remembered something and I cursed, scrambling to get both of us dressed.

“What are we doing?” Gee asked grumpily.

“We are going somewhere special,” I said.

I got us into the car, pulling out of the driveway. I had completely forgotten that Gee had a doctor’s appointment today and I just hoped that I didn’t miss it. We thankfully got there in time and I we were called back by a nurse. Gee took off his shoes to be measured and weighed before we were taken back to a room.

“Alright, we need to get you changed,” I said.

Gee whined unhappily as I got him undressed and into the hospital robe instead. He sat on my lap, playing with Sebby and Squilly.

“Hello, I’m Doctor Williams,” she said.

“Alright, go sit on the table,” I said quietly.

“Your hair is funny,” Gee said.

She smiled as she looked at her clipboard.

“You must be Frank,” Williams said, shaking my hand. “I was the one who did the first examination at the hospital but now we can get a more thorough examination.”

I nodded my head, looking over at Gee.

“Alright, Gee, ready to play doctor?” Williams asked.

“What’s doctor?” Gee asked.

She smiled and did a quick examination, checking his head, breathing, ears and mouth.

“Alright,” Williams sighed as she looked at her clipboard. “He does seem to be doing better. However he had been stunted because of the malnutrition and there’s really no way to complete it, which means that he’s just going to stay this small forever. The weight gain is very good, though. The thing that I’m concerned about most is his health while sick. He was never exposed to a lot of germs which means that he has a very weak immune system. If he ever gets sick, even just a little cold, then you need to take him to the emergency room, understand? Just a little cold could kill him.”

I nodded and she sighed.

“Other than that he’s making good progress,” she said. “We will need him to get his vaccinations and we need blood work. Come for blood work another day after he has fasted for twelve hours.”

I nodded my head and she smiled.

“Well, I think that about covers it but I will see you soon for a check up, how does three weeks sound?” She asked.

“That’s fine,” I replied.

Doctor Williams smiled before she left and I got Gee changed back into his clothes.

“We goes cuddle now?” Gee asked.

“Not yet,” I said “Go sit back down on the table for me.”

Gee sat down just as a nurse came in. I went over and held Gee’s hand as he kicked his feet happily. The nurse came over, wiping his arm down.

“What’s she doing?” Gee asked curiously.

I turned his head to look at me. Gee screamed when the nurse gave him the shot and he jumped. Gee cried, clinging onto me as he shook his head when she came back with a second vaccination. 

“Come on, Gee, this will help keep you healthy,” I said.

Another nurse had to come help hold him down while he kicked and screamed and was given his vaccinations. When we were done I picked him up, grabbing his toys before we walked out. People stared as we walked down the halls and through the parking lot. Gee just kept screaming and crying, even when we were in the car and halfway home. I brought him inside and tucked him into bed. He had worn himself out from the fit he threw and soon he was asleep and tucked in. I kissed his forehead, going out to the kitchen. 

I made some lunch for him, testing to see how he liked grilled cheese sandwiches. Gee slept for longer than I thought and I checked my phone. It’s been two days and I still haven’t heard back from Jamia, I asked Evan and he said she hasn’t really been leaving the house or talking but he didn’t know why. I knew why. I had to call her again. But of course it went to voicemail again.

“Please, Mia, I think this is the longest that we’ve been without talking and I need you,” I said. “There’s just been a lot going on and I need my best friend right now, more than anything. I’m sorry, Mia, I really am. Please call me.”

I hung up and sighed, looking around at the toys that were strewn around the room. I cleaned them up and put them into the little wicker basket in the corner that I deemed to be Gee’s box that he didn’t like using. He preferred to just throw everything onto the floor instead. I checked on Gee and found him still asleep. I sat on the bed beside him, gently running my fingers through his hair.

“Hey, beautiful,” I whispered.

Gee slowly blinked his eyes open and looked at me before turning away.

“I’m angry with you,” he said. “You let them hurt you.”

“No, Baby,” I said. “They were just trying to help you. The vaccinations will help keep you healthy so that way you don’t get sick.”

I curled up next to him and he flinched when I touched his shoulder.

“Come on, I made you some food,” I said.

Gee pouted but dragged himself out of bed to the table. He looked at the sandwich, looking over it carefully.

“What’s between the bread?” He asked.

“Cheese,” I said.

Gee took a cautious bite, chewing slowly before taking another small nibble. He kept doing this and he couldn’t seem to decide whether or not he liked it. We ate quietly together and Gee kept whimpering at his sore arms. When he was done he sat on the ground to play with his toys.

“You feeling better now?” I asked.

“No, this is sad playing,” he said.

I sat on the couch as I watched him play with the building blocks.

“Frankie, can I has some juice?” Gee asked.

I nodded my head, going to grab a sippy cup for him with some apple juice. I watched him play while also watching the tv, leaning back on the couch. The guys were coming over for band practice tomorrow which left just the two of us here today. Hopefully Jamia would come to our practice this time too, she usually does come to almost all of our practices and I’m really hoping she comes just so that way I can talk to her about what had happened the other night.

“Frankie, what’s this?” Gee asked.

He held up a train and I smiled softly.

“That’s a train, sweetheart,” I said.

“Chain,” Gee said, moving his train back and forth on the ground. 

I smiled softly as I watched him when the doorbell rang. I got up and opened it, finding Jamia on my doorstep. She was in a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and her hair was messy and greasy. 

“Mia,” I muttered.

I went to give her a hug but she shook her head. She handed me the jacket I had left with her after the movies.

“I don’t think I can still be your manager,” she mumbled.

“No, Mia, please,” I begged. “You’re my best friend, I love you.”

“I-I can’t, I quit,” she whimpered. “I can barely even look at you without my heart shattering. I-I can’t be your manager anymore and I think I need some time to myself.”

I nodded, my eyes watering.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I-I’m so sorry for hurting you, you know that I would never intentionally try to hurt you because you’re my best friend and I just want you to be happy, I care about you so much.”

“You broke my heart, Frank,” she whimpered.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled.

Jamia cried quietly as she walked down the front porch and I watched her go, watching my best friend walk out of my life.


	10. Chapter 10

“Where’s Mia?” Gee asked sadly.

“She is going on a little vacation,” I said.

I was rushing to get both of us ready because I was late for work and because Mia is gone I had to bring Gee to work with me. I got Gee into the car and sped off to work. I sat him down in the corner booth again with some of his toys. I hurried behind the counter and my boss gave me a disapproving look.

“You okay?” Ray asked.

“No, not really,” I mumbled.

I looked over at Gee while I worked until I was sent back into the kitchen. 

“Frankie?” Someone asked.

I looked behind me at Gee and cursed. 

“You can’t be back here,” I said. “Go sit down.”

Gee whimpered, shaking his head. He hugged me tight, making me drop the container of fries into the oil, making it splatter up. Some of it landed on me but most went onto the ground. Some worker walked by, slipping on the oil. He fell and dropped his tray of patties all over the ground and effectively hit the ice cream machine just hard enough for some sparks to fly.

“Iero!” My boss shouted. “You’re fired!”

I looked at him before looking back at Gee, who was cowering behind me in fear. I took his hand and walked out, getting him buckled up. I drove the two of us home as I sighed.

“What does fired mean?” Gee asked. 

“Nothing, Sweetheart, it just means that I’m going to spend more time with you at night,” I said. 

Gee squealed happily and clapped his hands. I brought him back into the house, tossing my shirt onto the couch. 

“You have pretty skin,” Gee mumbled. 

He looked at my tattooed body and I smiled softly, realizing this was the first time he’s seen my naked torso. His fingers ran over my chest and stomach, admiring each little piece of art that decorated my body. 

“Alright, Baby, I gotta go shower,” I said. 

Gee frowned softly but let me leave to go to the bathroom. I turned on the shower, stepping in to let water cascade over my body. I ran my fingers through my hair and showered quickly. I didn’t want to leave Gee alone for very long so I wanted to get out as soon as I could.

I got out and wrapped a towel around my waist, blowing my hair out quickly. I headed out to the bedroom, glancing into the living room where Gee was playing peacefully. I threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before I went to sit out on the couch. I looked and Gee and saw he had gotten into my package of tree air fresheners and had tied a bunch together to make a necklace. 

“Here you go,” Gee said, putting one around my neck. 

I couldn’t help but smile softly as I kissed his cheek, wrapping my arms around him to hold him tight, never wanting to let go. 

Later that night the guys came over and we went out to the garage to practice. We got ourselves set up while Gee sat on the couch to watch us. 

“Where’s Jamia?” Evan asked. 

“She quit,” I said quietly. “She said she didn’t want to be our manager anymore and she needed some time alone.”

“What happened?” Matt asked. 

I figured it was best to not tell them, it’s Jamia’s choice whether she wants them to know or not. 

“I don’t know,” I mumbled. 

“Evan! Evan! Watch me count to ten!” Gee exclaimed. “One, two, three four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten!”

“Wow, Gee, you’re so smart,” Evan said, ruffling his hair.

Gee smiled proudly as he held up his toy. 

“This is my squill,” he said. “Frankie got him for me.”

I smiled over at him softly as I tuned my guitar. 

“I thought Jamia was trying to get our tour organized,” Alex said. 

“I guess we’re not going on tour now,” I said. “Or at least not right now. We either have to learn how to manage ourselves or we find a new manager.”

“What if the label drops us because Jamia was the reason they signed us?” Alex asked.

“I’m going to call her,” Evan said, walking out of the garage into my house.

I sat down with Gee on the couch, letting him lean over to pluck a few strings. He took my guitar from me and I smiled softly as he laid the guitar flat on his lap, plucking the strings as he giggled. Evan walked back into the room and I gasped as he grabbed my shirt and pulled me up, slamming me against the wall. 

“What the fuck did you do to my sister?” Evan asked.

“I didn’t mean to hurt her,” I said quietly. 

His fist connected with my jaw and I cried out from the sudden pain. Gee screamed, running over to wrap his arms around me. Evan stopped once Gee got in the way, not wanting to hurt the poor, innocent boy.

“Hey, man, calm down,” Matt said.

“You know what, I quit too,” Evan said.

He stormed out and I stared in shock, one arm going to wrap around Gee’s waist.

“What was that about?” Alex asked. “We can’t lost our manager and a band member.”

“Maybe we should just get going,” Matt suggested.

The two left and Gee sobbed as he clutched onto me. I went to the kitchen, grabbing an ice pack from the fridge. Gee held onto my shirt the whole time as I went over to the ceiling. He sobbed, clutching onto me as he crawled into my lap. 

I’ve now lost my job, my best friend and my band is in shambles all in twenty-four hours.

What was I supposed to do now?

“I’ll kiss it better,”Gee said.

He kissed my jaw over and over again until I had to make him stop because it was hurting too much. He eventually fell asleep in my lap and I gently ran my fingers through his hair. 

Even with all this shit I still had Gee, somehow that was all I needed.

Not that I didn’t want Jamia back or my band or my job, but life just seemed sweeter with Gee in it.

I gently moved him off me and laid him down on the couch. I went to the mirror in the bathroom and looked at my jaw, gently running my fingers over it. It didn’t seem bad, thankfully. The pain was already starting to get a lot better. I yawned, going out to the couch. I laid down with Gee, letting him lay on top of me as we both fell asleep, exhausted from the day we experienced.

I hissed in pain when I felt pain in my jaw. I realized Gee was poking my jaw as he straddling my hips. He looked down at me, concern washing every inch of his face. His black hair framed his face, his pale skin smooth and soft.

“Does it hurt?” He asked, poking it again.

“Yes,” I mumbled, grabbing his hand to stop him. 

He cuddled up to me and i wrapped my arms around his waist.

“What time is it?” I asked.

“I don’t know how to tell time, Frankie,” Gee said. “I think it’s night.”

I looked at the darkness outside and nodded. Gee hugged me tight as I sat up.

“Frankie, my tummy is hungry,” Gee said.

I looked at the clock and sighed. It was starting to get late now, I should just order a pizza for us to share. I ordered it and sighed as I leaned back down against the couch and Gee laid on top of me. 

“Why did Evan hurt you?” Gee asked. “That’s nots a nice thing to do.”

“He’s mad at me because I hurt Mia’s feelings,” I said.

“Why you do that?” Gee asked sadly as he looked at me.

“It was an accident,” I said. “I didn’t mean to hurt her, I really didn’t. Things just happened between us and I accidentally hurt her feelings and Evan is mad at me. I don’t think he quite knows what happened between us so he’s angry at me. I think I just need to try and explain myself to him, maybe then I can have at least one thing in my life still here. And then maybe we can find a new Jamia if I can’t make things up with Jamia. And we’ll try and go on tour first and if that doesn’t work then I’ll have to try and find another job. I mean, what can be shittier than a McDonald’s job? My life can only go up in the work department. But I want to try and make things up with Jamia, I have to, she’s my best friend in the whole world. I guess I need to give her some space but I just want to talk. I want to fix things with her.”

Gee stared at me. “That was a really long speak and I didn’t listened.”

I smiled softly and kissed his forehead.

“You’re adorable,” I said. “That’s okay, I was mostly just talking to myself, trying to get my life figured out.”

“I don’t know what that means,” he said.

I kissed his forehead when the doorbell rang. One of the best things about this town was how fast they delivered pizza. I paid for the food before sitting back down next to Gee, turning on the tv. After a minute of whining because he couldn’t understand the show, I changed it to a kid’s show instead. I never thought I would be here watching Teletubbies in my twenties.

Gee squealed happily, laughing when the pancakes thing flew onto their plates. They were apparently toast but to me they seemed to be more like pancakes. They were round and had the density and texture of a pancake. Clearly well making the show they should’ve changed it a bit to make it appear more as toast, that would be far less confusing and--

Wow, I’m really sitting here contemplating and critiquing Teletubbies.

Not how I imagined myself as an adult and signed to a record label.

“Sleepy time,” Gee said, leaning back and resting a hand on his full belly.

I smiled, picking him up and carrying him back to the bedroom. I got us both changed and we cuddled up together in bed, both of us falling asleep quickly.


	11. Chapter 11

I sighed when I woke up to Gee sitting on my stomach, knocking my forehead like he was knocking on a door.

“Frankie, Frankie, Evan wants you,” he said.

I was hoping it was actually Evan but turns out by Evan he only meant my cell phone. There was a message from my mom telling me that she and my father were coming over for lunch today. 

I got up, sitting Gee down in front of the tv with a bowl of cereal and Teletubbies while I went to shower. I got out and cleaned up all of Gee’s toys, while Gee followed about two steps behind me to pull his toys out of the bin and set them on the floor.

“Gee,” I sighed.

I washed the dishes, looking into my cabinets to see what I could find to make.

“Can you go get dressed?” I asked. 

“You dress me,” he said.

“I’m a little busy right now,” I said.

I heard footsteps so I assumed he agreed as he went back to the bedroom while I started cooking. When he came back I smiled when I saw he was dressed in a big pink tutu, a white t-shirt, a pair of white thigh highs and a plastic toy tiara on his head.

“Adorable,” I muttered, kissing his cheek.

The doorbell rang and Gee gasped happily.

“Mia?” He asked.

I shook my head, opening the door.

“Hi mom, hi dad,” I said.

They stepped inside, both giving me hugs and kissing my cheek. Gee hid behind me in fear, clutching onto the back of my shirt.

“Guys, this is Gee, he’s staying with me for a little bit,” I said. “Gee, these are my parents.”

My parents looked at me in confusion and I just sighed, shaking my head as I didn’t want to tell this story again.

“Gee, say hi,” I said.

Gee squeaked, his face pressed into my back.

“Well, I made lunch,” I said.

Gee wouldn’t let me move and I sighed as I picked him up, letting him wrap his legs around my waist. I stirred the food in the pot once more before serving it into four bowls around the table. I tried to set Gee down but he wouldn’t and he had to sit on my lap instead.

“We are so proud of you for the record deal,” my mom said.

“Your grandpa would be so proud too,” my dad said.

“Thanks but I have a feeling we might get dropped,” I said. “Things are kinda fucked up. Jamia quit and then Evan quit and because of that Evan and Matt are having second thoughts. If the label realizes that we’re in shambles then they’re going to drop us in a heartbeat.”

Gee picked up a noodle between two fingers, looking at it in confusion.

“It’s just a noodle, sweetheart, it won’t hurt you,” I said.

He held it up, looking at it in the light while my parents watched him in confusion. 

“Eat it, Gee,” I said.

Gee shook his head, pushing it away.

“It’s just spaghetti,” I said.

Gee whined and dumped his bowl onto the ground before hurrying back to the bedroom.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled. “He’s sweet but sometimes I feel like he’s in his terrible twenties.”

“Who is he?” My mom asked as I cleaned up the mess.

“He is a kidnapping victim,” I said. “I found him in the woods and he’s been kidnapped for nineteen years and now I’ve sort of volunteered to keep Gee with me until they find his family and is sent back to live with them. He’s usually sweeter than this, I think he’s just scared of you two.”

“How long has he been here?” My dad asked. 

“Um, about a month now, month and a half,” I said.

We ate quickly before we moved over to sit in the living room. I sighed as I picked up Gee’s toys, tossing them into the bin.

“Sorry for the mess,” I said. “I’m not sure why but Gee likes all of his toys out in the open on the floor.”

I sat down and looked at them.

“So, why did you two want to come over for lunch?” I asked.

My mom sighed as she looked at her dad. 

“What is it?” I asked. 

“Your father and I are getting a divorce,” my mom said quietly. 

“A-a divorce?” I asked. “You’ve been married for almost thirty years.”

Gee walked in, sitting in my lap as he snuggled up against me. 

“Tummy rumbles, Frankie,” he said. 

I sighed, going to the kitchen to make him some ramen. 

“You can’t just get divorced after thirty years of marriage,” I said. 

I gave Gee his food and he sat at the table while I went back to the couch. 

“We just don’t love each other anymore, Frank,” my mom said. “These things just happen sometimes. But we still love you just the same.”

“I’m not five,” I mumbled. 

Of course I wasn’t five but it still hurt. I mean, my parents splitting after years and years of being in love?

“We know you aren’t but it can still be upsetting either way,” my dad said. “Don’t worry, we will still be civil, not like how some divorced couples want to murder each other. We thought we should tell you in person that we’re filing the papers today.”

I scowled softly and Gee came over to sit on my lap. 

“You sad,” he mumbled. “Don’t be sads.”

I smiled down at him softly, running my fingers through his hair. Gee wrapped his arms around me, snuggling against me.

“Was there an affair or something?” I asked.

“No,” my mom said. “We just don’t love each other the same way that we did thirty-five years ago when we first met. There was no affair, it wasn’t until after you moved out that we really sort of realized that we didn’t really love each other anymore, we just loved you. And when you were gone we realized we were only together still because of you, our love for you made us not even notice that we didn’t love each other anymore.”

I looked down, my eyes watering. Gee started crying all of the sudden and I looked at him in shock.

“Why are you crying?” I asked.

“B-Because you’re crying!” Gee sobbed.

I rubbed his back gently as I blinked back my tears.

“Don’t cry,” I mumbled, kissing the top of his head.

“Don’t be sad, Frankie,” Gee said as we sat on the couch. “D-do you wanna play with Sebastian?”

Gee handed me Sebastian and I smiled softly as I looked down at the little lamb stuffie.

“I think I’m okay, Gee,” I said.

“I don’t like to see you so sads, it makes me sads and I don’t like being sads,” he whimpered.

I kissed his cheek, a soft smile on my face.

“Did you finish eating your soup?” I asked.

Gee nodded. “It’s in my tummy now. It having tummy time.”

I smiled, wrapping my arms around him.

“It’s naptime, Gee,” I said. “Go to the bedroom and go to sleep.”

“Cuddle me,” he said.

“I’ll cuddle with you later,” I replied.

Gee pouted at me before he got up and went back to the bedroom. 

“And no sleeping in your tiara!” I called. 

There was a loud whine of complaint before the bedroom door shut. 

“I’m sorry, he can be a handful sometimes,” I said. 

“How old is he?” My dad asked. 

“He’s twenty,” I replied. “He’s really sweet. He’s staying with me just until they can find his family and bring him home again. I was the one who found him after his captor left him alone in the woods to die.”

“Well, I think it’s very sweet for you to take him in and care for him,” my mom said. 

“And you should talk to the guys, try and fix everything so you don’t get dropped be the label,” my dad said. 

I nodded my head as they stood up. 

“We should get going now, we just wanted to tell you this in person,” my mom said. 

I nodded, giving them both hugs before they left. I went back to the bedroom and I smiled softly when I saw Gee in bed asleep, spread out over the entire mattress. I curled up with him, wrapping my arms around him as I pulled him close to me. Gee turned over in my arms, smiling sleepily. 

“Cuddle me, Daddy,” he mumbled. 

I looked down at him in shock but within seconds he had fallen asleep again. I kissed his forehead, closing my eyes as I cuddled up with him. Gee nuzzled against me, a small line of drool falling from his mouth onto my shirt. 

An hour later Gee was awake and he smiled up at me. He wrapped his arms around my neck, letting out sleepy whines and protests of being awake sooner than he wanted. I rubbed his back gently, wrapping my arms around his waist. 

“Good afternoon,” I mumbled. “Did you have a nice nap, Sweetheart?”

“Yes, Daddy,” He said. “Still feel tired though, I don’t wanna get out of bed for ten twice years.”

I chuckled, getting up and going to the bathroom. I could hear Gee whining outside the door, complaining about how he wanted to cuddle with me. As soon as I opened the door he held his hands up and I sighed as I lifted him up. 

“Hey, Baby Boy,” I said. 

Gee giggled happily and I walked into the living room. Gee frowned, moving down from me to tip his bin over and spill all his toys out on the ground. 

“Gee,” I sighed. “Leave the toys in the bin, it’s messy when they’re scattered on the ground.”

Gee just ignored me as he sat down and put the wicker basket over his head. He just sat there on the floor, the bucket turned over his head. 

“You’re so weird,” I muttered. 

I turned on the tv, reaching over to pat the basket as he giggled. 

“Daddy, I’m a basket princess,” He said. 

“Yes you are,” I said. 

Gee giggled happily, jumping up to cuddle on my lap, discarding the basket so he could muzzle against me.


	12. Chapter 12

“My sister explained everything to me,” Evan said. “Sorry for punching you, dude.”

“It’s okay,” I said. 

“But why don’t you wanna date my sister?” He asked. “Is there something wrong with her?”

“No, she’s amazing but I’m just not into her like that,” I said. “She’s my best friend, nothing more.”

Evan nodded, sitting down on the couch. 

“How’s she doing?” I asked. 

“A little better but she’s still broken hearted,” Evan said. 

“I hate that I did that to her, I love her,” I said. “She’s been my best friend since junior year.”

Gee came in, sitting down on my lap. 

“Is Mia coming over?” Gee asked hopefully. 

“No, Princess, she isn’t,” I said. 

Gee nodded, resting his head on my shoulder. 

“I can play you with you, Gee,” Evan offered.

“You’re not as fun,” Gee mumbled.

“Hey, that’s not very nice, Gee,” I said and he looked up at me with watery eyes. “Tell him you’re sorry.”

“S-sorry, Evan,” he whimpered.

“It’s okay, Gee,” Evan said.

Gee sniffled, snuggling up close to me.

“I should get going,” Evan said. “Am I still allowed back in the band?”

“Of course, I love playing with you,” I said.

Evan smiled before he got up to leave. 

“You know what, I think we should take you to the store,” I said. “You’re gonna need some winter boots and a winter jacket, it’s starting to get cold.”

I went to the bedroom and got him dressed into a big pink sweater and a black skirt. I kneeled in front of him while he sat on the foot of the bed and I put his socks on him, they were white with ruffles around the ankles. Next I grabbed his shoes and velcroed them on, little jelly shoes that were clear and sparkly.

“Come on, do you wanna bring a toy?” I asked.

Gee nodded, picking up both Sebastian and Squilly.

“You can only bring one, I don’t want you losing both of them,” I said.

Gee picked Sebastian and I smiled, getting him into my car. I buckled him into the passenger seat and smiled. I drove to the thrift store down the street and looked around. Gee held onto my hand nervously as I went back to the shoe section. He sat on the bench while I grabbed a pair of brown snow boots. He kicked my hand when I tried to put them on him and I scowled.

“Don’t kick me,” I said. “Wh-why are you trying to kick me?”

“No uglies,” Gee said.

I looked at the boots and sighed. He wouldn’t even let me try them on him because he thought they weren’t pretty enough.

“I just need to try them on you to see what shoe size you are,” I Said.

Gee shook his head, turning away from me. I sighed, picking out a pair of nicer looking white boots. After a bit of guess and check I found his size and looked around for a pair that he might like. I grabbed some pastel pink winter boots before I brought him back to the coats.

“Alright, Gee, pick out a coat,” I said.

Gee dug through the circular rack before moving to sit inside of the rack.

“No, don’t do that,” I muttered.

I looked inside and saw him just sitting there playing with Sebastian happily.

“Come on, Sweetheart, you need to pick out a coat before we leave,” I Said.

I pulled him out as he whined, trying to pull away. He looked up at me and I sighed, knowing what was about to happen. He was about to throw a fit.

Gee cried loudly, laying on the ground. I tried to touch him to pull him up but he just hit my hand away. People turned to stare as he threw a tantrum.

“Gee, get up,” I ordered.

He only cried louder. I decided to just ignore him and grabbed the first pink coat in his size that I saw. I walked to the counter and paid for the things. I walked to the door to leave when there were small footsteps running towards me. Gee’s hand intertwined with mine as he sniffled. I buckled him into his seat and the two of us drove home together.

“Gee, you shouldn’t have thrown a fit,” I said.

“Sowwy, Daddy,” Gee said.

“Time out,” I said. “You sit in the corner and don’t move until I tell you that you can.”

I sat Gee in the corner, taking Sebastian from him as he whimpered. I grabbed some things from the cupboard, making both of us peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I put his onto his favorite princess plate along with some carrot sticks and strawberries.

“Alright, Gee, come here,” I said.

Gee game running over, looking at me nervously.

“You don’t throw fits like that, understand?” I asked and he nodded. “Okay, go sit at the table and eat your lunch then.”

Gee sat down and I got him a sippy cup of juice. We ate quietly and I watched him pull the pieces of bread apart and lick off the peanut butter and jelly.

“I miss Jamia,” Gee mumbled sadly.

“I know, so do I,” I said.

When I was done I grabbed my phone and called Jamia. Of course it just went to voicemail.

“Hey, Mia, it’s been awhile since I called you,” he said. “I-I just wanted to make sure that you were doing okay. I miss you, I miss you a lot. Gee misses you too. It’s okay if you don’t want to come back for me but would you make an exception for Gee? He misses you a lot and he wants to play with you. I don’t know if I’m asking too much of you, I know I broke your heart and I am so sorry about that, you know I would never want to hurt you. So, call me please, Gee needs you. I need you.”

I hung up and sighed as I looked at Gee.

“Hey, beautiful,” I whispered, kissing the top of his head. “You ready to go take a bath.”

Gee nodded and I held his hand, bringing him to the bathroom. I got him undressed and into the tub. I grabbed the shampoo and scrubbed his hair, humming quietly. 

“Daddy, when is Mia gonna come back to play with me?” Gee asked. “I-is she mads at me? W-was I a bad boy?”

“No, Gee, this doesn’t have anything to do with you, it’s all my fault,” I said. “She loves you so much, Gee. She’s just made at me because I wasn’t very nice. I promise she isn’t mad at you and you weren’t a bad boy.”

Gee nodded, sniffling quietly.

“Daddy, the people in the funny blue outfits told me theys were gonna look for my family,” Gee said. “I have family?”

“Yeah, you have a family,” I said. “We don’t know where they are but we do know that they probably miss you so much.”

Gee nodded and I rinsed his hair. 

“Daddy, Sebby wants to bath with me too,” he said. 

“No, Sebby is gonna get all wet,” I said. 

Gee ignored me and dunked Sebastian into the water. I sighed quietly as he grabbed the shampoo and scrubbed his little lamb’s fur. 

“Scrub a dub dub, all in the tub,” he said. 

“Come on, let’s get you dried off,” I said. 

I wrapped a towel at him and he looked at his soaking wet stuffie. 

“Daddy, Seb Seb needs dry too,” Gee said. 

I took Sebastian and threw him into the dryer before starting it up. I got Gee dressed and he sat down in front of the dryer to watch the machine spin as his toy tumbled around inside like it was stuck in a whirlpool. 

“Alright, Princess, do you wanna go watch Teletubbies?” I asked. 

Gee shook his head. “I can’t watch it without Seb Seb, he’s gonna be sad if he misses it.”

“Alright then come here, we’re gonna play a new game,” I said. 

Gee followed me out and I sat down at the table with him, writing the alphabet onto a piece of paper.

“This is the letter A,” I said, pointing to it. “Do you know what sound A makes?”

“Meow,” Gee said. 

I chuckled softly. “No, the A does not meow.”

“Woof,” Gee said. 

“The A makes the sound ah,” I said. 

Gee pouted. “Not fun. No funs. Don’t wanna play.”

He pushed the paper off the table and I sighed as he went and laid on the couch. He cuddled up with his squirrel and quickly fell asleep. I sighed, grabbing a blanket to lay it over him before I went out to the garage. I grabbed my guitar and my notebook, slowly working my way through the chorus of a song. For some reason my mind just kept going back to Gee. 

“So many stars in the sky and I don’t know why they always have to fall on me,” I sang softly. 

“That doesn’t sound too ugly,” Gee said. 

I looked in the door and saw him standing there, the blanket wrapped around his shoulders. He sat on my lap, curling up into a little ball. 

“What are you doing?” I asked. “I thought you were finally a take a little nap.”

“No nappies, I wanna plays with you,” he said. 

I smiled softly, kissing his forehead. 

“Do you wanna help me write a song?” I asked and he nodded enthusiastically. “Alright, What do you think should go next?”

“Sebby is my bestest friend,” he sang. “Sebby is the most beautiful lamb in the widest world!”

“I think that’s a beautiful song,” I said. “Fuck, speaking of I have to go into the recording studio on Wednesday day and I can’t leave you home alone,” I said. “Maybe I can find some other babysitter for you, they’ve always got ads in the papers for those kinds of things. Except not usually for twenty year olds. Maybe I can call me my mom.”

I sighed as I looked down at him. 

“I wasn’t listened again,” he said. 

“That’s okay, just mumbling to myself,” I said. “I just wanna make sure that you are safe and happy.”

I was going to do anything to keep him safe and happy.


	13. Chapter 13

“Daddy, where’s foldy Evan?” Gee asked, shaking me awake.

“What the hell is foldy Evan?” I mumbled, yawning softly.

“The Evan that folds,” he said.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said.

“Foldy Evan that we played the game on,” he said.

“You mean my laptop?” I asked.

“No, foldy Evan,” he pouted.

I sighed and went to the bedroom to grab my laptop.

“You mean this?” I asked.

Gee nodded excitedly and I turned it on for him.

“Fuck, is that the time?” i asked.

I quickly got dressed and gasped when I looked at the white wall in my living room. There were scribbles on it and I looked at Gee.

“No! No drawing on the walls!” I exclaimed.

Gee whimpered as he looked at me. 

“Time out,” I ordered.

Gee ran to the corner as he sniffled. My mom was supposed to be coming over to watch Gee but she was running late so I called her.

“Hey, I’m stuck in traffic but I promise I’ll be there in five minutes,” she said.

“Alright, I have to go now,” I said. “When you get here can you take Gee out of time out and give him a lecture about drawing on the walls?”

“Of course, good luck, sweetheart,” she said.

I hung up and sighed as I pulled on my shoes.

“I’m leaving now but my mom will be here in five minutes,” I said.

Gee looked over at me as he cried quietly.

“I’ll be back soon,” I said, kissing the top of his head before running out to my car.

I drove to the studio and saw everyone was waiting for me.

“Sorry, I accidentally fell asleep,” I said.

They all looked at me before they burst out laughing.

“What?” I asked.

Evan took a picture of me and then showed it to me. My face was covered in colorful scribbles that Gee most definitely did while I was asleep.

“Today Gee discovered the wonders of Crayola,” I muttered. “He had his first marker experience.”

They chuckled as I rubbed my cheek but it didn’t smudge at all.

“Nevermind, let’s just ignore this,” I said. “Sorry I’m late.”

We started out in the studio recording one of the songs on our album. It started to get late as we spent a lot longer there than I had originally hoped. This was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I’ve gone through the first verse about a million times now. We listened to the demo and I smiled. This was really it, this was real. The real deal. We were actually recording our first actual studio album.

“You heading home?” Evan asked when he finished.

“Yeah, I should probably relieve my mom of Gee,” I said.

“Alright, good, I’ll see you later,” he said before walking off.

“Good?” I mumbled quietly to myself.

I got home and smiled when I saw Gee on the ground in front of the tv playing. I kissed his forehead, tossing my coat onto the armchair. 

“Wow, did the color monster get you?” My mom asked.

“Color monster named Gee,” I mumbled.

“I got the markers off the wall with rubbing alcohol, same way I used to do it when you used to draw on the walls when you were a kid,” she said.

“Thanks, mom,” I said. “I promise if I ever get famous and rich the first thing I’m going to do is buy you something nice. Maybe a car or something. As a thank you for always being there for me and for helping to support me again with money now that I lost my job.”

“Of course, I love you so much,” she said. “I have to get going now.”

I kissed her cheek before she left and I sighed as I turned to look at Gee.

“Why’d you draw on my face?” I asked.

“I wanted to make your face pretty like your arms,” he said.

I chuckled softly and I went to the bathroom, scrubbing my face for ten minutes before I finally got it all off.

“Daddy, I-I’m sowwy for drawing on the walls,” Gee said quietly.

“It’s okay, Princess,” I said, kissing his cheek.

“I say we order pizza for dinner,” I Said.

“Pan cakes,” Gee said.

“We always eat pancakes,” I said.

“Pan cakes,” Gee repeated.

I looked at him and just couldn’t say no to him as I nodded my head. We ate our pancakes on the couch in front of the tv while watching Teletubbies when the doorbell rang. A smile washed over my face when I saw Jamia standing on my front step.

“Mia, I missed you so much,” I mumbled.

“I’m here for Gee,” she said quietly. “B-but can we talk?”

I nodded, sitting down between her and Jamia on the couch. Gee had syrup dribbling down his chin while he ate.

“I’m sorry about everything, Jamia,” I said.

She sighed. “It hurts so much just being here, seeing you. But I just...I want to be here for Gee, I missed him and he missed me too.”

“We always need a babysitter,” I said.

“I’m sorry for trying to blame everything on you,” she said quietly. “None of this is your fault. I-I thought that maybe if it was your fault and I blamed it on you then I would hate myself less. I-I was the dumb one to think you could actually like me back, I’m so fat and ugly and--”

“Mia, no,” I interrupted. “You are a beautiful, beautiful woman and one day someone is going to love you for just the way you are. I should say sorry for kind of leading you on and kissing you and all that.”

“Sorry about Evan punching you,” she said. “I was too embarrassed and upset to tell him the whole story and I think he just thought that you harrassed me or did something without my consent. I didn’t mean for him to think that, if I knew he did I would’ve cleared it up.”

“Well, I guess that from his perspective he was doing the right thing,” I said.

“And I’m sorry for quitting as your manager, it wasn’t fair to leave the entire band just for some personal problem between the two of us, I shouldn’t have done that to the rest of the guys,” she said. “Maybe if you were just some solo act it’d be better but I can’t just abandon all of them because you rejected me. If you would have me I would like to be your band’s manager again.”

“You know there’s no one else I would rather have,” I said.

She nodded, looking down at her lap.

“You want some pancakes?” I offered. “Also, fair warning, Gee has learned of the existence of markers so don’t fall asleep around him, I learned that the hard way.”

She chuckled softly, looking over at gee.

“I can’t stay but call me when you need me to watch him again,” she said.

“Of course, thank you,” I said. “But I have a question, should I be looking for a job now or wait because we might possibly go on tour?”

“I would say just wait, I’m trying to plan a tour for you guys,” she said. “Hopefully it won’t be too long. You just have to get the songs you have finalized to perform and you can do some unfinished songs too. But I wouldn’t expect much of a crowd, you don’t really have much a fan base other than the five people that actually like you.”

I smiled softly, running a hand through my hair.

“But if we had a finished CD we could sell them at the show,” she mumbled, thinking out loud more to herself than to me.

“That could take a while with producing all of it and then publishing it, I don’t even have all the songs finished,” I said.

She nodded. “Alright, we can do a small East coast tour, it’ll be good to help get your name out there. Maybe we can get some shirts made before then to sell at the shows. Try coming up with some designs and I’ll try to find a good company to make the shirts for us. And we should set up a website to sell things online too in case you guys actually start having fans.”

“You seem better,” I said.

“I’m just trying my hardest to ignore the pain in my heart everytime I look at you,” she said quietly. “I have to go now. Bye, Gee.”

Gee waved enthusiastically as she left. I finished eating and got Gee cleaned up. He smiled, playing with his blocks on the floor as he tried to build the tallest possible tower he could.

“Daddy, do you wants to build with me?” Gee asked.

I nodded, sitting beside him. I smiled softly as I built a little castle with him and he put Sebby down on top of the castle.

“Daddy, is Mia gonna played with me again?” Gee asked.

“Yes, she’s going to start playing with you again while I’m busy with the band,” I said.

“Good, I missesed her,” he said.

“Missed her,” I corrected.

“Missesed,” Gee repeated.

I chuckled softly and kissed his cheek.

“You’re adorable,” I said.

“I wanna color,” he said.

I gave him some markers and paper, sitting him down at the table.

“Remember, Gee, no drawing on the walls or on my face,” I said.

“But I wanted to make your face pretty,” he pouted.

I smiled softly and held out my hand, which wasn’t yet covered in tattoos. He colored on my hand, trying his best to draw Sebastian. It was crude and shaky but in the end I could slightly make it out as a lamb.

“What’s this?” I asked, pointing to the lump on his back.

“Squilly,” he said.

“Squilly is riding on Sebby’s back?” I asked and he nodded proudly. “Well, I think this is absolutely beautiful.”

Gee giggled happily, holding my hand. He gave my knuckles a kiss.

“Now you do me,” he said.

I chuckled and took the marker, drawing a unicorn on his hand.

“This is pretty,” Gee mumbled. “More, Daddy.”

I smiled, drawing an entire rose vine up his arm. When it began to get late I brought him to the bedroom, getting him changed into a plain pastel pink onesie. I tucked him into bed with Sebastian and his paci, smiling as I kissed his forehead.

“You’s not cuddling?” Gee whimpered.

“I’m just gonna go do some laundry real quick and then I promise I’ll come cuddle with you,” I said.

Gee nodded and I grabbed the dirty clothes from the hamper. I quickly tossed it into the washer before going to cuddle with Gee.


	14. Chapter 14

I could hear screaming from outside the bedroom as I woke up. I frowned going out of the room to where Gee was in the hall screaming and sobbing, he had even peed his pants because he was so scared.

“Baby, what is it?” I asked.

Gee pointed to the cute little ghost lights I had hanging from the ceiling as Halloween decorations. I looked at the lit up white ghosts with the happy white smiles.

“Gee, Baby, it’s just Halloween decorations,” i said.

Gee just screamed again and I pulled him into the bathroom, getting him into a bath. I went out and cleaned up the decorations, knowing Gee wouldn’t like any of it. Evan came over and smiled giving me a hug.

“Happy birthday, Frank,” he said.

“Thanks,” I said.

“You taking Gee out trick or treating?” He asked.

“I don’t know, I didn’t really think of that,” I said.

“You should, you can still go and grab him a costume, I’ll watch him if you want,” he said.

“Yeah, thanks,” I said.

The door opened behind me and I saw Gee standing there completely naked.

“No, Gee,” I said.

I brought him back to the bedroom and got him dressed. 

“Evan is gonna watch you for a little bit while I run to the store,” I said.

I didn’t want to bring him with me to the Halloween store, he got scared of cute little ghosts. I got to the store quickly, looking around at the costumes. All the adult womens costumes were so...raunchy. Gee couldn’t wear a ‘Racy Raccoon’ costume.

I moved to the kids section and bit my lip. He’s pretty small, he’d probably be able to fit into a large. I looked around as I bit my lip, trying to pick a costume for him. Maybe a lamb like Sebastian? A squirrel? What would a twenty year old that acts like a five year old want to dress up as for Halloween?

I decided to just grab the pink princess costume before I paid for it and walked out. When I got home I saw Gee running around screaming as Evan tried chasing after him to catch him. I chuckled softly as Gee screamed and jumped into my arms.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“We’re playing run from Evan!” Gee exclaimed.

“There is no consent in this game,” Evan said as he panted.

“Daddy, I missed you,” Gee said, hugging me tight.

I smiled, kissing his cheek.

“I fed him already,” Evan said. “He’s just very energetic right now.”

I nodded my head, kissing Gee’s cheek.

“When are you going out?” Evan asked.

“Not too late, Gee doesn’t like the dark,” I said. “I’ll probably take him out right before dinner, that’s when the younger kids usually start.”

“Take me where?” Gee asked.

“We’re gonna do something fun tonight,” I said. “We’re gonna get you dressed up and get you candy.”

Gee gasped happily and nodded.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then,” Evan said.

“Bye, Evan!” Gee exclaimed, running over to give him a hug.

I gave him a hug before he left and I sat Gee down on the couch as he kicked his feet excitedly. I sat with him on the couch, running my fingers through his hair while he watched Teletubbies. Gee eventually fell asleep and I sighed softly in relief. He was so cute but oh god he was so hyper all the time.

I made us lunch while he slept and even I myself was getting excited for tonight. I haven’t gone trick or treating since I was fifteen and I couldn’t wait to bring Gee. It was just one of those things that really means a lot to your childhood and I really wanted him to be able to experience the pure joy that comes with it.

“What’s that, Daddy?” Gee mumbled sleepily.

“This is soup,” I said.

Gee sat at the table, looking at me as I cooked. I gave him a bowl and sat across from him as he slurped it up in his spoon.

“How do we gets candy, Daddy?” Gee asked.

“We’re gonna go around to other people’s houses and ask them for it,” I said. “This is called trick or treating, we do it on Halloween.”

“What’s that?” He asked.

“It’s a holiday,” I said.

“What’s that?” Gee asked.

“It’s a very special day where we all celebrate something,” I explained.

Gee just stared at me blankly before sticking his hand into his bowl, scooping soup into it and drinking out of it.

“Gee, that’s unsanitary,” I said.

“No, it’s unsantry,” he said. 

Gee finished and wiped his hands and his pants while I frowned softly. Soon enough I got him into his pink princess dress with some white tights and pink flats. He shrieked happily as he put on his tiara and I handed him a little reusable blue shopping bag.

“Alright, when we go up to the door just ring the doorbell and then say ‘trick or treat!’” I instructed.

We walked up to the door and Gee stared at it.

“Daddy, what’s a doorbell?” Gee asked.

I sighed and pushed it for him. A lady opened the door and Gee whimpered, hiding behind me.

“Oh, Sweetheart,” I said with a chuckle and the lady smiled. “Come here.”

Gee stepped out nervously.

“Twick or tweat,” Gee said quietly.

“You’re so cute,” she said.

She dropped candy into the bag and Gee gasped.

“Say thank you,” I said.

“Thank you!” Gee cheered excitedly.

Gee started to get more comfortable as we went from house to house as the sun started to set. We got to one house and Gee excitedly held out his back.

“Twick or tweat!” He exclaimed.

“What the fuck is this?” The lady asked. “H-how old are you? You look young but still old at the same time. I don’t think you can get candy, how old are you?”

“Ten twice!” He said proudly.

“Please just give him some candy, he’s really excited, it’s his first time ever trick or treating,” I said.

Gee giggled happily, sucking his thumb.

“Is he retarded?” The lady asked.

“He isn’t fucking retarded,” I spat. “Just give him some fucking candy.”

“Sorry, I don’t have any,” she said.

I looked at the big candy bag beside her before she shut the door. Gee’s thumb fell from his mouth as he looked up at me.

“Wh-where’s my candy?” He whimpered.

“Come on, let’s go to the next house,” I said.

I held his hand, taking him around the rest of the neighborhood before I decided we should go home. I opened the front door and jumped in shock.

“Surprise!” Everyone shouted as they jumped out.

Gee shrieked, bursting into tears. He sobbed, clinging onto me. I looked at all the birthday decorations as everyone quieted down, looking at Gee.

“Thanks, guys,” I said. “B-but just wait a minute.”

I took Gee back to the bedroom and sat him down on the bed, kneeling in front of him.

“Gee, sweetheart, are you okay?” I asked. “I know they scared you but they really didn’t mean to. It’s something that people do for their birthdays.”

“Not my birthday,” he pouted.

“No but it’s mine,” I said.

“How old are you?” Gee asked.

“Twenty-three,” I said.

“That’s not a real number, Daddy,” Gee said.

I smiled, taking his hand in mine.

“Let’s go out there and have some cake,” I said.

“What’s that, Daddy?” He asked.

“I think you’ll like it,” I said.

Gee sniffled and nodded and I gently wiped his eyes. I held his hand and brought him back out. They all gave both of us hugs, them wishing me a happy birthday while apologizing to Gee.

“Alright, let’s do food first, I’m starving,” I said, opening on of the pizza boxes on the table.

I sat down in the armchair and Gee sat on my lap.

“Did you have fun trick or treating?” Evan asked.

“I gotted lots a candy,” Gee said.

“Well, I bet you’re just going to eat it all until your tummy explodes,” Matt said.

Gee nodded enthusiastically, taking a big bite of his pizza.

“Let’s do shots,” Jamia said when we were done eating.

“I don’t know, I have to take care of Gee, I can’t get drunk,” I said.

“Gee will be fine,” she said. “He’s probably gonna go to sleep in an hour anyways, maybe even less than that.”

I looked at Gee and saw he was already starting to fall asleep. I guess the excitement and running around the neighborhood really wore him out.

“Gee, do you wanna go sleepy now?” I asked.

“But I’m a princess, I gotta be a princess tonight,” he said. “Princesses don’t leave the ball early.”

I smiled and picked him up, carrying him back to the bedroom as he whined. I pulled off his clothes and he cried when I tried taking off tiara.

“Baby Boy, you can’t sleep with it, you don’t want it breaking,” I said.

I finally got him to take the tiara off and I put a onesie on him, tucking him into bed.

“Daddy, c-can you sing the pretty song for me again?” He asked quietly.

I smiled and nodded, running my fingers through his hair.

“Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly, all your life, you were only waiting for this moment to arise,” I said. “Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these sunken eyes and learn to see, all your life, you were only waiting for this moment to be free.”

Gee smiled softly as I kissed his forehead and he fell asleep. I went back out, turning off the lights and carefully shut the door. I smiled when I found shots already poured and I looked at them.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Tequila,” Jamia said.

“What are we chasing it with?” I asked.

Alex pushed over the salt shaker and a plate of sliced limes.

“Of course,” I muttered.

“Alright, birthday boy goes first then,” Jamia said.

I licked the back of my hand, pouring salt onto it so it stuck. I licked the salt off and downed the tequila shot, feeling it burn as I sucked on a lime. The others cheered and I laughed as I slammed the shot glass down on the counter. We spent the night dancing and laughing as we did shot after shot.

“That’s our cab,” Evan said when there was a honk outside.

I giggled, watching them stumble out to the car I went to the bedroom and stripped naked as I tried to crawl into bed but ended up falling off instead.

“Daddy, what are you doing?” Gee mumbled.

I giggled, looking up at the ceiling. Gee peeked over the side of the bed and blushed.

“Daddy, y-you’re not wearing any clothes,” he whispered.

I laughed, reaching up to pull down a pillow. Gee laid a blanket over me and I giggled softly before passing out.


	15. Chapter 15

“First day of tour,” Jamia said. “You boys excited?”

We nodded and walked outside. Unfortunately we only had a white twelve passenger van attached to a trailer. 

“Gee, you okay?” I asked.

I nodded and held his hand. We sat in the fourth row in the back and I smiled as I wrapped my arms around him.

“This is a big moving thing,” he said.

“Car, sweetheart, it’s a car,” I said.

As Jamia started driving the GPS gave us directions to the first show.

“Evan talks!” Gee gasped.

“I what?” Evan asked.

“Mappy Evan talks!” Gee cheered.

“He calls things with screens Evan,” I said. “Things like phones and laptops and tvs and that.”

“Why?” Evan asked.

“Well, he just had a hard time understanding the concept of phones,” I said.

“Daddy, I’m bored,” Gee said.

“We’ve been in the car for five minutes,” I stated.

“No, too long time,” he said.

Jamia turned the music on and I held Gee in my arms, watching him play with Sebastian.

“Seb Seb wants kissies,” he said

I smiled and gave his toy a kiss.

“Where my paci?” He asked.

I pulled it out of his bag and he sucked on it, curling up with his blankie. Everyone was pretty pumped to be starting our first tour as we talked excitedly.

“Alright, here we are,” Jamia said.

We pulled into a venue and we walked inside, talking with the people and setting up our instruments.

“Alright, sound check first and then back to the dressing room and then we should talk to the sound guy, security and the promoter,” she said. “Make sure you do your sound check well and if you need help then talk to the sound guy. After that we are going to the merchandise table.”

I nodded my head, watching Gee play in the middle of the floor while we did our sound check. When we were done we went around talking to everyone before going to the table.

“Okay so Gee and I are going to stay back here and try and sell some things during the show,” Jamia said. “We have the t-shirts we made and we only had five posters made but I’d be kind of shocked if we sold any of the posters. And I have cards with the link to your website so people can stay tuned and check in on it when the album is released if they’re into you.”

“How many tickets were sold?” Matt asked.

“I can’t remember exactly, about thirty five to forty but they think there may be a couple more who will buy tickets at the door,” she said. “Not a big crowd, this is your first time playing alone. I had made fliers and passed them out and on twitter I did see a few people that were actually fans, only like two or three who saw you with other bands and liked you. Some of your other shows will have other local bands performing so there may be more people.

“But chances are good that you won’t make money from this show, or most of the shows on this tour for that matter. You’ll probably make all of your money on the merch which is why we really want to try and sell all of this. Especially handing out these cards because that can equal future business and more dedicated fans.”

“That was a boring speak,” Gee muttered.

“Be nice, Gee,” I said. “And Mia, don’t let him near the money.”

“I know, I don’t want anyone getting pissed because he accidentally charges them a hundred dollars for a shirt,” Jamia said. “And I also don’t want him undercharging them either.”

“We’re gonna start letting people in now, there’s a couple people outside,” the security said.

I nodded, kissing Gee’s cheek.

“You stay here and be good for Mia, alright?” I asked and he nodded. “I’m going to be up there performing so you can’t bother me.”

Gee nodded and I kissed his cheek again before we went to the dressing room in the back. I took a deep breath, shaking out my hands.

“Fuck, this isn’t my first show but I’m so nervous,” I muttered.

Evan patted my back. “We’ve got this, man.”

I nodded my head, looking around. We sat around before I got too antsy to sit still. I walked to the hall and peeked out where the stage was. There were a couple of people by the bar and others lingering near the front of the stage. One person was in the back talking to Jamia as she handed him a card. Gee smiled when he saw me, waving enthusiastically. I went back and sighed as I paced around the dressing room. 

“How many people are out there?” Alex asked. 

“About ten,” I said. “What if this tour is just shit and we can’t make it as a real band?”

“So what? How many bands really make it after their first few shows?” Matt said. “It’s going to be fine, Frank, we’re signed to one of the biggest record labels in the country, we have almost our whole first album finished and recorded and now we’re going on our first tour.”

I nodded my head, sitting on the couch. Soon enough it was time for us to go out and I looked in the small crowd, which looked practically empty in the venue that could hold over a hundred. I could see Gee in the back passed the bright lights as he watched me curiously. There was a scattered applause and I bit my lip nervously as I picked up my guitar.

“Hi, uh, we’re Frnkiero andthe Cellabration,” I said awkwardly. “And if you let us play some songs for you I promise your ears won’t bleed.”

There were a few chuckles and I smiled. We got through a few songs before taking a little break.

“We’re a pretty new, local band,” I said. “I’m pretty sure none of you have ever heard of us.”

There were some people in the front row calling and I smiled.

“Maybe some of you have heard of us,” I said. “We have our first album coming out soon so if you’re interested then talk to my friend in the back. Thank you guys for coming to see us, we really are so grateful for all of you putting up with us.”

There were some small cheers and I smiled.

“But I promise I’ll shut my fucking mouth now, I’m sure you didn’t pay to listen to me talk awkwardly,” I said. “We have a few more songs, some polished and finished and others still demos.”

I looked back at Matt and he nodded as he started playing. We spent the rest of the show just playing and I thanked them one last time before we went offstage.

“You sounded nervous,” Alex said.

“God, I was,” I said. “Was I too awkward? I feel like I was too awkward.”

“Only a little bit,” he said.

I nodded, running a hand through my sweaty hair.

“Let’s wait for the crowd to clear then head out to my sister,” Evan said.

I nodded and some of the audience lingered a bit to grab their last cups of beer before they left. I went out to the table and bit my lip as I looked at her expectantly.

“Alright, I handed out a bunch of cards and we sold one shirt,” she said.

I nodded my head, helping her pack all of it up while the others got the instruments and Gee pouted unhappily.

“I’m tired,” he whined.

“I know, princess, I promise you can go to sleep soon,” I said.

Gee sat in his chair, pouting while we got everything before getting into the van. Gee curled up with me, quickly falling asleep in my arms. He snuggled against me, mumbling softly in his sleep. 

“We sleeping in the van?” Matt asked. 

“Yeah, we’ll pull into a parking lot to sleep,” she said. “I think that over the tour we only stay in a motel twice.”

I nodded, running my fingers through Gee’s hair. I smiled softly as I watched him, he was just so pretty. He had pale skin and dark hair with sparkling hazel eyes. There was something about him that was just so unique and special, I loved it so much. As difficult as he could be I was so thankful that he was here and staying with me. I know it’s not forever but I feel like he’s really changed my perspectives on things. He’s shown me the purity within life. He’s funny and sweet and all around just perfect.

“Has anyone heard anything about his family?” Alex asked, turning around in his seat to look at me.

“No, not yet,” I said. “But I think they’ve spread the alert to facebook. And, you know, there’s really only moms on there so hopefully they’ll be able to find his mom. It’s hard, you know? They have those pictures where kids are young and they show what they would look like in ten years for missing kids but they can’t really do that backwards, especially not for a baby. All they have is a picture of him with his location and his name and age, and it’s not even his full name. But...he’s been here for a while now and the news is starting to spread more I think. Maybe soon someone will claim him.”

“And as soon as he does we should plan a bigger tour,” he said. “Maybe we can go a bit farther west. Gee is so nice and all but having him but be such a hassle just because you have to plan everything around taking care of him.”

“It’s a bit of a hassle but I guess I don’t really mind all that much, I like taking care of him,” I said. “Sometimes it’s hard just when he’s throwing fits but he really isn’t too bad, I’m glad he’s staying with me.”

I looked down at him, smiling happily as I fell asleep in the backseat of the car.


	16. Chapter 16

Evan hurried up to me, clearly very panic stricken. 

“What’s wrong?” I asked. 

“Gee decided that he wanted to play run from Evan and now I can’t find him,” he said. 

I sighed and walked down the hall to look for Gee.

“Gee! Come out!” I called. 

I spotted Gee in the corner of the room and I sighed in relief. As soon as Gee saw Evan by my side he screamed and took off running again. We chased after him around the corner and I stopped when I saw some security guard grabbing Gee roughly as he sobbed.

“Hey! Stop! Let go of him!” I shouted.

“He isn’t allowed to be over here,” the security guard said.

He let go of Gee and my little princess immediately ran over to jump into my arms. He wrapped his legs around my waist, burying his face into the crook of my neck as he cried.

“Sweetheart, it’s okay,” I whispered, rubbing his back gently.

I wrapped my arms around him, carrying him back to where the stage was at.

“Daddy c-can I wear my jammy jams?” Gee whimpered.

I nodded my head and brought him to the van. I helped him get changed into a pair of footy pajamas. It was light pink with some darker pink polka dots on it.

“Alright, you won’t be able to wear shoes with this but that’s okay,” I said.

I carried him back inside and set him down near the merch table.

“You wanna help Mia set up?” I asked.

“No,” Gee said.

I chuckled softly, kissing his cheek.

“Help Mia,” I said.

Gee pouted before unhappily going over to help Jamia put up shirts.

“Alright, it’s time for us to do a soundcheck,” Alex said. 

I nodded and went onto the stage. We did our soundcheck quickly before I went to go grab some tea. I sat in the back with Gee, looking around as people got ready. Gee sat on my lap and I gave him my paci. He rested his head on my shoulder playing with Sebastian. Soon it was time to go backstage and I gave Gee his sippy cup.

“Alright, Princess, you be good now,” I said. “Stay here and listen to Jamia.”

“We’ve got this here,” Jamia said. “You go along now.”

I kissed Gee’s cheek and went down to the dressing room. I ran my fingers through my hair as I sat down on the couch. There was writing covering the walls here and pictures taped up of people who have performed here who got really famous.

“Imagine us being on these walls one day,” Evan muttered.

I looked over at me, smiling softly.

“Mm, I’m just glad we’re staying in a hotel tonight, I feel like I haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep in a million years now,” I said.

The concert went by pretty quickly and soon we were at the bar with the few other people that had lingered behind.

“Is this your first tour?” The girl, who I learned was named Alicia, asked.

“Yeah, it is, it’s our fourth show now,” I said, drinking my beer.

She had tattoos along her collarbone with dyed black hair and messy black eyeliner. She had a ripped up Avenged Sevenfold shirt and a pair of black jeans.

“I’ve seen you opening for another band I think, you’re pretty good,” she said.

“Thanks,” I said.

“Yeah, I think you’re really a natural onstage,” she said. “Some people I’ve seen have great music but then when they’re talking onstage they’re just sort of awkward and stuff but you’re such a natural at that, you really were born to do this.”

“You seem to know what you’re talking about,” I said.

“Well, I go to concerts a lot,” she said. “And I don’t think anyone has impressed me as much as you did. And your looks really don’t hurt either.”

I blushed softly as I smiled.

“Well, you’re not too bad yourself,” I said.

“Maybe you can show me how impressive you are in bed,” she said, resting a hand on my thigh.

“I’m staying in the motel just across the street,” I said.

Alicia smiled and brushed her hair behind her ear as she nodded.

“Meet me by the door,” I said.

She nodded and walked off while I went to Evan.

“Hey, can Gee stay in your room tonight with you and Jamia?” I asked.

“Thought you two were staying together,” he said. “He isn’t gonna be happy. Why do you need him with us?”

I glanced to where Alicia was standing and he nodded as he understood. 

“Alright, I’ll watch him for the night,” he said.

“If he gets upset just sing Blackbird, it helps calm him down and I sing it to him a lot before bed,” I said.

I went to find Gee, who was sleepily sitting beside Mia as she counted money.

“Hey, Princess,” I said, kneeling down next to him. “You’re gonna stay with Evan and Mia tonight, you’re gonna have a sleepover.”

Gee nodded, not seeming to fully understand as he yawned and rested his head on Jamia’s shoulder. Jamia glanced over at Alicia, her face falling as she looked down sadly. I hurried back over to Alicia and wrapped an arm around her waist. We went to the motel and I pressed her up against the wall, quickly shutting the door. My lips collided with hers and soon we were making our way to the bed.

I woke up to knocking on the door. I groaned quietly as I looked and saw Alicia sleeping naked beside me in bed. The knocking started even harder and I ran my fingers through my hair.

“Who is it?” I called.

“Daddy!” Gee cried.

I cursed, pulling on my boxers before I opened the door.

“Princess, you need to go back to Evan’s room,” I said.

“B-but I miss you,” he whimpered. “You were mad at me and made me sleep without you.”

“No, Princess, I wasn’t mad at you,” I said. “I’m just bust right now. I promise if you go back I’ll get you a nice treat.”

Gee shook his head.

“Princess, it’s time to go now,” I said.

Gee pouted and sniffled before walking back to Evan’s room. I sighed and laid back down in the bed as I looked at the clock. Oh god, it was six in the morning, Alicia and I didn’t go to sleep until nearly three. 

I managed to get a bit more sleep before I woke up to the bed moving beside me. I yawned, sitting up as I watched Alicia pull on her panties.

“What time is it?” I asked.

“Half past nine,” she said.

I smiled as she came over and straddled my hips.

“We have time for a round two?” I asked.

“Unfortunately no, I have to go to work,” she said. “But you really did impress me in bed. No other guy has made me orgasm that many times in one round.”

I smiled, pulling her down for a kiss.

“Okay, okay,” she said as she pulled away. “I really have to go now, I can’t be late.” 

I watched her get dressed as I ran my fingers through my hair.

“Call me if you’re ever in town again,” she said.

She wrote her number onto the motel notepad before leaving. I got dressed and went to Alex and Matt’s room but frowned when no one answered. I went to Evan and Jamia’s room and saw them all hanging out there.

“Eventful night?” Matt asked.

I shook my head, going to where Gee was sitting on the armchair. I moved him so I was sitting down and he was in my lap. Gee pouted before moving away to sit on the bed on Jamia’s lap. I frowned but didn’t say anything as I bit my lip. Alex handed me a coffee cup and I smiled thankfully as I drank it.

“What are we doing today?” I asked.

“Well, you have a day off,” Jamia said. “We’re just hanging out around today and staying here tonight again before we head off tomorrow morning for another show. And then we only have three more shows before we head back home.”

Gee nuzzled against her and she smiled.

“Gee? What are you doing all the way over there?” I asked.

Gee turned away from me and I sighed.

“Did I do something?” I asked in confusion.

“He’s still upset that you made him sleep in our room with us,” Evan said.

I opened my arms and Gee sniffled before running over into my arms, sitting on my lap.

“I’m sorry, beautiful,” I whispered.

“What were you busy doing?” Gee asked.

“Oh...I-I was just playing a game,” I said.

“I like games, can we play the game together?” Gee asked.

“Nope, this game isn’t for little boys,” I said.

Gee pouted but didn’t say anything as he laid his head down on my shoulder. I smiled as I looked at him, running my fingers through his hair.

“Anyone have any ideas on what we can do today?” I asked.

“Sebastian told me earlier that he wants to have a tea party,” Gee said.

“Did he now?” I asked.

Gee nodded. “But only with him and Squilly, I think they’re going on a date.”

I chuckled, kissing the top of his head.

“But I think it’s a surprise date so don’t tell Squilly because he doesn’t know yet,” he said.

“Squilly is a boy too?” I asked and Gee nodded. “Oh, I didn’t know that.”

“Daddy, I think they might get married,” he said. “Do you think they’re gonna ask me to be the best man?”

“I do,” I said.

“I hope they get married,” he mumbled, looking down at his lap.

“We should just hang out around town,” Evan suggested. “There’s a pretty neat downtown area here, we can just go and hang out there and stuff, I saw a pretty cool record shop while we were driving in yesterday.”

“That sounds like fun,” Matt agreed.

We all nodded and soon enough we were all fed and ready to go out into the town.


	17. Chapter 17

We walked into a coffee shop and I saw Alicia behind the counter.

“Oh, I didn’t think I would see you so soon,” she said. “Maybe I can go on break and we can have a quickie in the bathroom.”

“Can I have a cookie in the bathroom?” Gee asked hopefully, tugging on my hand.

“No, no cookies,” I said.

Gee started crying and I rubbed his back.

“Oh, Princess, I’m sorry, I just meant no cookies right now,” I said. “It’s too early, you can’t have cookies for breakfast.”

Gee sniffled, wiping his eyes.

“Can I have cookies later?” He asked.

“Yes, you can have some later,” I promised.

Gee nodded, nuzzling against me.

“Who is this?” Alicia asked.

“My name is Gee Bear and I was kidnapped and I have purple panties with rainbows on,” Gee said.

“Y-you kidnapped him?” Alicia asked.

“No, no, oh my god,” I muttered. “He wasn’t kidnapped by me I was the one who saved him. Gee, what did we talk about?”

“Not to tell everyone everything about me,” Gee said. “Do you wanna see my panties?”

“No, Gee, you don’t show people your panties,” I said. “I’m sorry, can I get three coffees, two lattes and a smoothie?”

“What about for my tummy?” Gee asked.

“And a blueberry muffin,” I added.

She nodded, getting our order together. The others walked in from where they had all been looking around at a nearby shop.

“We can maybe go to the pier,” Alexx suggested.

“That sounds like fun,” I said. “Gee, do you wanna go see some boats?”

“Boat,” Gee repeated.

“Gee, do you know what a boat is?” I asked.

“Boooaaatt,” Gee said, exaggerating each letter.

“There’s some pigeons outside, Gee, you wanna go see?” Evan asked.

Gee nodded, holding his hand. The two walked outside and I paid for the drinks before we went outside. Evan and Gee stood on the sidewalk, looking at the birds. One started walking close to Gee and he screamed, scaring away all the birds. Having them all fly away seemed to only scare Gee more as he sobbed and clung to Evan.

“Oh, Gee, it’s okay,” I said.

Gee sniffled as he ran over to me. I gave him his juice and muffin, which was wrapped up.

“Please don’t,” I muttered.

Gee crushed up the muffin into crumbs before he opened the wrapper and licked the crumbs out. We walked down to the pier and Gee gasped.

“What is that?” Gee asked.

“It’s a boat, people go on it to go across water,” I said.

“That’s a big bathtub,” Gee said.

“It’s called an ocean,” I said.

“Big bathtub,” Gee said.

I gave smiled, holding his hand when he finished his muffin. 

“Frank! Frank!” Someone called and I looked back at Alicia. “You forgot your wallet at the cafe.”

She handed me the wallet and I smiled.

“Thank you,” I said.

“Of course,” she said, giving me a kiss.

Gee shrieked, dropping his smoothie to cover my mouth with his hand.

“Icky!” Gee exclaimed.

I chuckled softly and pulled his hand away.

“Thanks, Alicia,” I said.

“Alright, call me when you’re back in town if you wanna hook up again,” she said.

I kissed her cheek and Gee screamed. He sat down, crying as he kicked his feet.

“Gee, stop throwing a fit,” I said.

Gee just cried louder and other people turned to stare.

“What’s going on?” Jamia asked as she walked over.

“Gee is throwing a fit because I kissed Alicia on the cheek,” I said.

“Come on, Gee, let’s go look at the pretty boats,” Jamia said.

“No!” Gee screamed. “I want Daddy!”

I picked him up, holding him on my hip as he calmed down a bit.

“I’m sorry,” I said to Alicia. “I guess I’ll possibly see you later, and thanks for giving me my wallet back.”

She smiled and walked off. I carried Gee down the pier.

“Look at that really big boat!” I cheered, pointing to a boat.

Gee sniffled, laying his head on my shoulder.

“Oh, Princess, calm down now,” I said.

Gee whimpered, snuggling against me. I smiled softly, walking with him down to the lower part of the docks. Gee looked over the edge of the dock, reaching down to poke the water.

“Cold,” he remarked.

“Yes, Gee,” I said. “But make sure that you be careful, you don’t know how to swim.”

“What’s swim?” Gee asked.

“Just don’t get too close,” I said.

Gee nodded, sitting at the edge of the dock, his feet hanging over as they swung slowly. I sat beside him, keeping an arm around his waist to make sure he didn’t fall in. 

“Daddy, can you sing that pretty song again?” Gee asked.

“One of my songs?” I asked.

“No, your songs are ugly,” he said. “The one about the pretty bird.”

I smiled softly. “Blackbird singing at the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly. All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to arise. Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these sunken eyes and learn to see. All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to be free.”

Gee held my hand and smiled.

“Do you think Sebby and Squilly are having fun on their date?” Gee asked. “Because Seb Seb was really nervous about it.”

“I’m sure they’re having lots of fun on their date,” I said.

I kissed his cheek and he giggled.

“I love you, you’re adorable,” I said.

Gee wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tight.

“Come on, beautiful, let’s go off and find out where the others went,” I said.

Gee nodded and I held his hand as we walked over to where the others were looking at a little speedboat.

“What are you guys doing?” I asked.

“I think I’m gonna buy a boat,” Alex said. 

“You don’t live on a lake,” I said.

“Okay, well, I can get a little cottage on a lake or something,” he said.

I held Gee’s hand, the two of us walking upstairs. Gee swung our hands together, smiling up at me happily.

“Daddy, what are we doing today?” Gee asked. “I’m bored.”

“We’re just gonna walk around until it’s time for us to go to sleep,” I said.

Gee pouted softly but followed us around. We went into a record shop, looking around.

“They’ve got some Bowie records,” Matt said.

I looked at them, smiling softly.

“Daddy, what is this?” Gee asked.

“These are records,” I said. “You can use them to listen to music.”

Gee held my hand nervously when some other people walked in.

“It’s okay, sweetheart, you don’t have to be scared,” I said.

Gee wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tight. I walked around with him clinging to my side.

“You wanna get a record, Gee?” I asked.

Gee shrugged and I looked over at him.

“Well, I guess you don’t even know what this is,” I muttered. “You wouldn’t even know if you want it.”

“Can I has my cookie now?” Gee asked.

“Soon,” I said. “After we’re done here we can get you a little cookie.”

Gee smiled happily, wrapping his arms around me. I bought a couple of records before going to a bakery across the street. I bought a couple of cookies, handing Gee one. He ate happily as we went outside. I gave the others their cookies and we walked around.

“Daddy, what’s that?” Gee asked, pointing to the fountain.

“It’s a fountain,” I said.

“Bath,” Gee said.

I gasped as Gee sat down in the fountain.

“No!” I exclaimed.

I pulled him out, hurrying to pull him inside the bakery.

“Frank? Why are you freaking out so much?” Evan asked. “He only got a little bit wet.”

“But he can’t get sick,” I said. “He doesn’t really have an immune system, if he even gets just a little cold it could be life threatening, it could kill him.”

“What does that mean?” Gee asked.

“Nothing,” I said. “You don’t have to worry, sweetheart.”

I took him into the bathroom, helping him get dried off.

“Maybe we should just go back to the hotel,” I said.

Gee nodded and we walked out.

“You guys can stay out but I think we’re gonna head back to the motel and snuggle up under some warm blankets with some hand sanitizer,” I said.

“You sure?” Evan asked.

I nodded my head, carrying Gee back to the motel. Gee hurried over to the little table where Squilly and Sebby sat, a drawing of a flower between them.

“How was the date, Sebby?” Gee asked. “It was? That’s great, Seb Seb!”

Gee laughed and I smiled as I went to our bags.

“Come on, Princess, let’s get you changed,” I said.

I got him undressed and then changed into a pair of pastel purple footie pajamas. I pulled up the little hood and he smiled. I tucked him into the bed with Sebastian and Squilly in his arms before I handed him his paci.

“Alright, now you stay here nice and warm and healthy,” I said.

I gave him some hand sanitizer before I turned on the tv for him. I went over and grabbed my guitar and my notepad, trying to polish up a few of my songs.

“Daddy, I don’t like this show,” Gee said.

I nodded, going to change the channel.

“Okay, look, here’s Bubble Guppies,” I said.

“Daddy, why do they look funny?” Gee asked.

“They’re mermaids,” I said. “That means they’re special people that can live underwater.”

I smiled, going back to sit at the table. Gee snuggled under the blankets, sucking on his paci. I played my guitar, biting my lip as I played.

“Daddy, I can’t hear,” Gee whined.

I turned the volume of the tv up and kept playing, writing things down into my notebook. 

“Daddy, can you cuddle with me?” Gee asked. “You’re so far.”

I smiled and changed into some pajamas, curling up in the bed with him. Smiling softly as I watched him sleep in my arms.


	18. Chapter 18

Gee woke me up by shaking me and I muttered unhappily.

“Daddy, there’s something outside,” he said.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” he said. “It’s coming from the sky.”

I could hear the pitter patters of rain and I sighed.

“It’s just raining, Baby,” I said.

A loud crack of thunder shook the ground and Gee screamed.

“Baby, Baby, I’ve got you,” I whispered. 

I wrapped my arms around him, hearing him sniffle. Gee cried quietly and my alarm went off, making him scream again.

“Alright, we have to go out now to the van,” I said.

I got up and got Gee dressed. I put a nice, fuzzy, warm sweater on him, a black skirt, solid, warm black tights and warm black boots. I put his hat on him and he giggled. He grabbed his stuffies and I opened the door but Gee refused to step outside.

“What’s wrong now?” I asked.

Gee shook his head and I sighed as the others came out of their rooms. 

“Gee won’t come out,” I said. “He’s too scared of the rain.”

I held his hand, pulling him outside. I picked him up, carrying him down to the van as he sobbed. We got into the back and I started the car before the others joined us. Gee sniffled as he curled up in my arms. 

“The next show is closer to home,” Jamia said. “And unfortunately the last show.”

“I thought we had one more,” Evan said. 

“It got cancelled, a pipe burst at the venue,” she said. 

Gee and I watched videos on my phone until we got to the new venue. It was already late when we got there and we set everything up. 

The show seemed to go by quickly and soon we were at my house with beers to celebrate. I tapped glasses with the others as we smiled.

“Okay, so you know how I told you we wouldn’t really make any money and how we’d barely break even?” Jamia asked and we nodded. “I kind of lied because I just didn’t want to get your hopes up since I didn’t know how much we’d actually make.”

“Okay, how much did we make then?” Matt asked.

“Well, after all the expenses and cuts, you each made almost eighteen hundred dollars,” she said. “Lucky for you we don’t have an actual crew to pay or booking agent or a separate tour manager or anything like that.”

“Oh, that’s fucking great,” Evan said.

“Oh, d-don’t swear in front of him,” I said, gesturing to Gee. “I’m trying to stop myself, he’s starting to repeat me and I don’t want him to start cursing all the time because he doesn’t know what it means.”

“Wow, there’s not as much cheering as I thought there would be,” Jamia said.

I smiled, giving her a hug. We played music as we partied, drinking for hours until they had to leave. I smiled, shutting the door as I giggled.

“Daddy, I’m sleepy,” Gee said. “You never put me to bed.”

I giggled, holding his hand and bringing him back to the bedroom..

“Why are you acting silly?” Gee asked.

I opened the dresser, taking a handful of clothes and tossing it over my shoulder. I got Gee changed and he frowned.

“Daddy, this is a bathing suit,” Gee said.

I looked around and got him changed.

“These are good,” he said.

I smiled, looking at his little sleeping shorts and sleeping shirt that had a picture of a little sleeping kitten on it. I stripped down to my boxers and curled up in bed with him.

“You didn’t turned off the light,” Gee said.

“That’s okay, i-it’s like it’s...it’s day at night inside,” I said.

“Daddy, I don’t understand your speaks,” Gee said.

I giggled. “You’re so cute.”

I leaned forward, pressing my lips against his. I kissed him softly as I pressed him back against the mattress. I sucked on his neck, hearing his quiet whimpers.

“Is the room spinning?” I asked. “Oh, it’s dizzy in here, are you dizzy?” 

I laid down on the bed, my eyes shutting as I quickly passed out.

When I woke up my head was pounding. Gee gasped happily when he saw me awake and jumped on the bed. 

“Daddy! Daddy!” He shouted happily.

I whined, clutching my head.

“Daddy! Come play with me!” He yelled.

“Shut up!” I shouted.

Gee stopped jumping and he let out a soft whimper before I heard the little footsteps as he ran out of the room. I closed my eyes, holding my head. Finally I got up to go get some coffee and some medicine. I sighed as I sat down on the couch, closing my eyes. 

As soon as my hangover started to pass I stood up and sighed. I frowned in confusion as I looked around. I couldn’t see him anywhere and I bit my lip. I opened the bathroom door and found him sitting in the corner facing the wall.

“Gee? What are doing?” I asked.

“I-I was a bad boy,” he whimpered.

“No, no you weren’t,” I denied. “It’s okay, sweetheart. You weren’t bad, I just wasn’t feeling well. I didn’t mean to yell at you, I’m sorry.”

Gee looked up at me as he sniffled. I picked him up, carrying him out to the couch with him curled up in my lap. My eyes glance down to where there were dark hickeys on his pale skin.

“What is this?” I asked.

“What, Daddy?” He asked.

“The hickeys. Who the hell did that to you?” I asked angrily and Gee whimpered. “No, Gee, I’m sorry, I promise I’m not mad at you, you don’t know any better. And because you don’t know any better they were taking advantage of you. No one should be touching you in that way ever. Just tell me who it was and then I’ll make sure they don’t touch you ever again.”

“Daddy, Seb Seb is hungry,” Gee said. “And my tummy is too.”

I sighed. “Okay, what do you want?”

Maybe he’ll talk to me when he’s eaten.

“Pan cake,” he said.

I stood up, looking at the mess in the room.

“What did we do last night?” I muttered.

It was almost noon now as I started making pancakes.

“What time did you wake up?” I asked.

“I don’t know time,” Gee said.

“What was the number on the clock?” I asked.

“The number Evan next to the clock had a seven as the first number,” he said.

“You’ve been awake for five hours and you didn’t eat?” I asked.

Gee nodded. “I was gonna wake you up but then your breath smelled so I didn’t want to go near you.”

I held my hand against my mouth and exhaled. Yep, it smells like alcohol, mostly vodka. I made him some pancakes before I went to brush my teeth.

“You not eating?” Gee asked.

“No, I’m not,” I said. “I’m not very hungry.”

I went back to the bedroom to get dressed, sighing when I saw Gee’s clothes strewn across the room.

“Why are the clothes all over the floor?” I asked.

“You did it while you were silly last night,” he said.

I cleaned up his clothes, picking an outfit out for him. I laid it out on the bed and went out to clean up the living room. I threw away bottles and trashed, cleaning up the sticky surfaces. I got Gee dressed and into the car.

“Wheres we going?” Gee asked.

“Just gonna talk to some people,” I said.

I got to the police station and he held my hand.

“Hi, Gerard,” one of the cops said.

Everyone here knew him, he was the amazing boy who was kidnapped and found nearly two decades later.

“Look at my Squilly,” Gee said.

“Very cute,” she said. “You want a sucker?”

Gee nodded and the two went back into the breakroom.

“Hey, I said to the man on Gee’s case. “Have you heard anything about Gee’s family?”

“No, not yet,” he said. “And if I’m going to be honest, I doubt we will. This is starting to become old news. Before photos and information of him was circling the news and social media for people to claim him but now it’s just old news, people aren’t spreading the news to raise awareness anymore. I don’t think that he’s going to have a family.”

I nodded sadly, looking down.

“He doesn’t have to stay with you, we didn’t know it was going to be a permanent situation,” he said. “We can probably find him a new home to live in permanently. I know it isn’t the ideal situation or anything but there’s a home nearby where he can live. It’s a special group home for adults with special needs. I know he doesn’t have special needs but they can really help him there. There’s only a couple people there who are developmentally disabled and special needs so Gee will be able to have a lot of one on one time with nurses and they said they would love to take him in. They teach people a lot of things there so he can learn to do things like dress himself and bathe himself and can teach him how to read and write. It can be really great for him there.”

“Oh, no, I’m just sad for him because he’ll never know his family,” I said. “And I want him to stay here with me, he’s so sweet and kind and I love having him here with me.”

“Alright, that’s going to be fine then,” he said. “But it’s okay if you change your mind, we would all understand. Having Gee is a lot of hard work.”

“No, really, he’s so sweet,” I said. “I just wanted to come by and see if you got any messages while we were away.”

“No and I don’t think we ever will, really,” he said.

I nodded and smiled softly. I mean, I wanted Gee to know his family but I didn’t just want him to leave. Gee came out with a lollipop and I smiled.

“Hey, you wanna go to the park?” I asked.

Gee nodded excitedly and I held his hand, pulling him outside.


	19. Chapter 19

We got to my parent’s house and I held Gee’s hand.

“Remember the rules?” I asked.

“No screaming, no not thinking before I speaks, no throwing food, no touching things that could break,” he said.

“Good boy,” I said, kissing his cheek.

We went inside and I smiled when I saw my parents. I sat Gee on the ground to play with his toys while I sat on the couch.

“So, I kind of needed a little favor,” I asked. “Gee isn’t going to be finding a family, he’s going to be living with me permanently. And I thought that maybe I could get a bigger house. Then maybe he can even have his own bedroom. And I do have some money and stuff but I was wondering if maybe you could help me out a bit on money. Not a lot, we finished our CD and we’re starting to make sales online now.”

“You finished our CD and you didn’t tell us?” My mom gasped. “Frank, go on the computer and order ten. We need one for your aunt, one for your grandma, two for each of your uncles and one for the kid down the street who likes music because he cuts our lawn.”

“There’s still five left,” I said.

“Five for us so if one breaks we have four as a backup,” she said.

“Can we get back to the house thing?” I asked.

“What’s the name of your album?” My dad asked.

“Stomachaches,” I said. “House?”

“Sweetheart, of course we’ll help you pay for the house,” my mom said with a small chuckle. “We were always going to help you with your first house. You have the little place you live in now but that’s just a little starter home. You were always going to have to move into a new house when you started a family.”

“S-so you don’t mind?” I asked nervously.

“No, of course not,” she said. “We were planning on paying for most if not all of it as a wedding gift when you got married but we might as well do it now, we don’t mind.”

“Oh thank you so much,” I said.

“My friend’s daughter is a real estate agent, I’ll call her,” My mom said, walking out of the room.

Gee tugged on my pants and I smiled down at him.

“Sippy,” he said.

I reached into his bag and handed him his sippy cup. My mom came back and smiled.

“She said she can make an appointment with you for later on in the week,” she said. “Here’s her number, I already gave her yours.”

She handed me her number and smiled.

“But I’m going with you to look at places,” she said.

I nodded, smiling happily as I stuffed the note into my pocket.

“Thank you again,” I said. “This was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be.”

“We already had money put aside for it, Frankie,” my dad said. “It’s the tradition for the bride’s parents to pay for the wedding so we thought since you’re the groom we would be able to pay for the bride and groom’s house. Or groom and groom, whatever you choose.”

“Thank you, Dad,” I said, giving him a hug.

“Oh but we can’t stay, we’re going to lunch with some friends,” my mom said. “We’ll see you soon.”

I smiled, kissing her cheek before I took Gee’s hand as we left. 

“Well, that gives us some more time than I actually thought,” I said, looking at my watch. “Let’s go catch a movie.”

We got to the theaters and Gee looked around curiously. I bought two tickets to a kids movie and I bought us some popcorn before we sat in our seats.

“What’s this?” Gee asked, picking up a piece of popcorn.

“Popcorn,” I said.

“So it’s made of pop and corn?” Gee asked.

“Well, not exactly,” I said.

I smiled as he took a cautious bite. Gee nodded just as the lights dimmed and movie started. He whimpered and I could see his eyes watering as he looked around in fear.

“Come here, baby,” I said.

I pulled him over into my lap and smiled, kissing his cheek.

“It’s okay, Baby, it’s just like big Evan only bigger,” I said.

“Biggest Evan,” Gee muttered in awe.

I chuckled softly, wrapping my arms around him as we watched the movie. Gee ended up falling asleep in my arms during the middle of it. I picked him up, cradling him in my arms as I carried him out. He didn’t wake up until I was buckling him into the car. 

“Wh-what we doing?” Gee mumbled. 

“Going home, Sweetheart,” I said. 

I got into my own side of the car and started us off. Gee reached over, holding onto my hand. I smiled over at him, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. 

“Hey, Princess, what do you think about going to live somewhere else?” I asked. 

“No, Daddy, I-I don’t wanna live without you,” he whimpered. 

“Oh, Princess, I’m gonna live with you,” I said. 

“Oh,” he mumbled. “Okay then.”

I smiled, getting the two of us back home.

“Time for a nappy I think,” I said.

Gee pouted. “No, I don’t want nappy.”

“Okay, do you want to tell me who gave you the hickeys then?” I asked.

“Nappy time, Daddy,” he said.

I carried him to the bedroom and tucked him into bed.

“Okay, Baby, you stay here and get some rest and then I’ll have lunch ready for you when you wake up,” I said. “Anything that you want to have?”

Gee shook his head, yawning quietly. I tucked him into bed and left him alone. I went to the kitchen and looked around inside the cupboards. Finally I decided that I was too lazy to cook and I just wanted to order a pizza for us. I sat down on the couch, turning on the tv to look at the news. I closed my eyes, falling asleep on the couch.

“Daddy, the ringy door thing is making sounds,” Gee said, shaking my lightly.

I yawned as I woke up, looking at the clock as the doorbell rang. I answered it quickly, paying the man before he left. I sat with Gee on the couch, changing the tv to some Teletubbies. My eyes glanced down to his neck where I could see his faded hickeys. I scowled quietly. The thought of someone touching him that way made me sick to my stomach.

We were at the show and there was a lot of people there, some of them pretty drunk. I wasn’t able to stay there and watch him during the show, he was all the way in the back. Jamia was pretty busy too dealing with workers and other people seeing the show. Gee could’ve wandered off to use the bathroom and some drunk guy started putting their hands all over my little princess. The thought of that made me furious.

“Daddy, your face is turning red,” Gee said.

I took a few deep breaths, nodding my head.

“Sorry,” I muttered.

“I didn’t get a very long nappy,” he said.

“That’s okay, Gee, we’ll have an earlier bedtime tonight,” I said.

Gee nodded, taking a big bite of his pizza. He crawled up into my lap and I smiled down at him.

“Daddy, can I try your pizza?” He asked.

“Baby, it came from the same slice yours was in,” I said.

Gee pouted and I let him take a bite of my pizza slice.

“Yours tastes better, Daddy,” he said.

“They both come from cheese pizza,” I said.

Gee nodded, looking down sadly. I switched pizzas with him and he smiled happily as he ate. 

“Bath time,” I said when we were done.

I carried him to the bathroom and got him undress, filling up the tub with hot water and lots of bubbles. I got Gee undressed and into the tub.

“Ducky, Ducky, where’s my Daddy?” Gee asked.

“Oh, I don’t know, “ I said. “I think it must’ve gotten mixed in with your living room toys. I told you to keep the bath toys in the bathroom.”

I went out to the living room and dug through the basket in the corner of the living room. I found his little yellow rubber duck and smiled when I went back into the living room. Gee had rubbed bubbles over his face like a beard, smiling over at me.

“You’re so cute,” I said.

I kissed his forehead, cleaning off the bubbles. I grabbed the shampoo and got him cleaned up. I scrubbed his head and he giggled happily, playing with his little ducky.

“Oh no! We’re about to go into the bubble mountain!” He gasped.

I smiled as he moved the duck through a pile of bubbles that floated on the surface of the water. I cleaned him up, going to grab a towel.

“Daddy, can I stay in the water and play for a wittle bit?” Gee asked.

I nodded my head and left him alone in the bathroom. I grabbed the pizza box and went out to the garage to toss it into the trash. It was starting to get a lot colder now, soon it was gonna start snowing. Thanksgiving was in just two weeks, we always had this tradition where I would go to my parents house for the dinner and then to Jamia’s for the dessert and after party. I think Gee will love Thanksgiving, he really likes food.

“Daddy!” Gee called.

I stepped into the bathroom with him and he smiled at me.

“Daddy, play in the bath with me,” he said.

“Oh, princess, I can just sit next to the bath and play with you,” I said.

“But that’s not the same,” he said.

I sighed, going back to the bedroom. I changed into a pair of swim trunks before I got into the bath with him. I sat on the opposite side of the couch, my knees pulled up to my chest. The added mass brought the water up right to the brim, nearly spilling over the sides.

“Okay, so the game we playing is bubble push,” he said.

Gee explained the game to me and the two of spent hours in the bath as we both laughed and played.


	20. Chapter 20

Gee was screaming as he threw a fit. He laid on the ground in the middle of the empty living room as he kicked his feet.

“Gee, come on, it’s time to get into the car,” I said.

“They took my toys away!” Gee screamed.

“No they aren’t, they’re just moving things into the new house,” I said. “And this is the last of it which means that we need to go too.”

I picked him up as he cried, looking over the house one last time before I got into the van. The entire van and the trailer we usually use for instruments was completely filled up. A lot of the big furniture was already moved into the new house but now the rest of it was being taken over. Gee cried the whole time until we got to the other house, which was a little bit bigger than my old house. 

It was a two story house with three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms. The door opened to a living room and right behind that was a little kitchen and the bathroom. To the left were two flights of stairs, one going up and the other going down. The one going down lead to another little family room area, which I was probably going to turn into a mix of a a band practice area and Gee’s playroom, just so his toys aren’t spread around where everyone always is. Up the stairs was the bathroom first on the right, across from that was an empty bedroom, next to that was my bedroom with my own ensuite and next to the hall bathroom was Gee’s room.

“Here we go, don’t you like it?” I asked.

Gee sniffled, shrugging his shoulders.

“Come on, I decorated your room all pretty,” I said.

I held his hand, bringing him upstairs. We went up to his room and I smiled happily. The walls were painted pink and there was a big pink rug in the middle. Against the wall was a white bed with pink floral printing and a big canopy over it. There was a big teddy bear against the bed and on the opposite side of the room was a bunch of toys and a little kiddy table.

“It’s all mine?” Gee asked. “My own princess room?”

“Yes, Gee, this is your very own princess room,” I said. “Now you don’t have to share a bed with me.”

“Y-you don’t like sharing a bed with me?” Gee whimpered, his eyes watering.

“Oh, Gee, it’s not that, I love sleeping in the same bed with you,” I said. “I thought you would just like to have your own bedroom and your own bed. Do you like it?”

“It’s really pretty,” Gee said.

“You’re welcome,” I said.

Gee sat at his new little tea table and giggled.

“Daddy, play tea party,” he said.

“I can’t right now, I’m gonna go start unpacking stuff,” I said. “Why don’t you have a tea party with Sebastian and squilly?”

“I wanna have a tea party with Evan,” Gee said.

“I’m sorry but Evan is out with Jamia right now and he can’t come over for a tea party,” I said.

“Not that Evan, this one,” he said.

He reached into the front pocket of my jeans and I jumped back when his hand brushed against my crotch.

“Woah, wh-what are you doing?” I asked.

“Looking for Evan,” he said.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and he giggled excitedly as he took it. Four chairs surrounded the circle table and he sat in one, put Sebastian in the second, Squilly in the forth and finally my phone on the last chair. Gee immediately grabbed the toy tea set and he played with it happily.

I made sure to get his bedroom completely set up first so he would feel a little bit more comfortable sleeping in there rather than having things half packed and boxes in the room. I went downstairs, unloading the boxes from the trailer to put them into the living room. Emptying it was tedious as I unpacked as many things as I could. The doorbell rang and I sighed as I opened it.

“Hi, we’re Sarah and Brendon,” the girl said. “We just wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood.”

I smiled as I looked at the girl. She had short, curly light brown hair and bright blue eyes. The boy had dark brown hair pushed up into a quiff and he had dark brown eyes. 

“We actually just got married and moved in just recently,” Sarah said. “We made you cupcakes to welcome you.”

“Oh, thank you so much,” I said.

I heard footsteps running down the stairs and Gee ran to my side, dressed in his Cinderella costume dress and his hair pulled into pigtails.

“I’m Frank,” I said. “And this is Gee.”

“Wanna sees my panties?” Gee asked.

He went to lift up the front of his dress but I quickly pushed it down.

“No, don’t do that,” I said as they looked in confusion. “I-I’m sorry, he has some developmental issues.”

“Is he your son?” Sarah asked. “How old is he? Thirteen? He’s so cute.”

“Uh, no, he’s twenty his height was just stunted when he was younger,” I said. “I-I’m not his dad, I’m just sort of taking care of him is all.”

“Oh, well, I hope he likes cupcakes,” she said, handing me the plate of cupcakes with pink frosting.

Gee looked at it nervously before picking one up, tipping it over on his head to smear it into his hair.

“No, Gee, what did we talk about?” I asked. “Don’t put your food in your hair.”

Gee giggled and licked the frosting off his fingers. I sighed as I looked back at the confused couple on my front step.

“I’m sorry but thank you so much for the cupcakes,” I said.

“Of course,” Sarah said. “We have to get going but come over if you need anything.”

I nodded my head, smiling as I shut the door. I set the cupcakes onto the island and brought Gee upstairs. I washed his hair out before he was back to playing. I spent hours unpacking everything. It was tedious having to put away every single fork, hand towel and book. The others had offered to help but I didn’t want them to because I could do all this stuff on my own, they already helped to move all the big pieces of furniture.

“Daddy, Evan is vibrating!” Gee shouted.

He handed me my phone and I answered it. It ended up just being a random number and I sighed.

“Daddy, what are you doing?” Gee asked.

“I’m putting all these things away,” I said.

“Looks boring,” Gee pouted. “Daddy, I want you to come play with me.”

I smiled, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek.

“Come on, you have to let me unpack to make our new house all nice for us,” I said.

“How long are we staying here?” Gee asked.

“We’re staying for a little while,” I said. “We aren’t gonna go back to the old house.”

“Not ever?” Gee asked sadly. 

“Nope, not ever,” I said.

I picked him up, carrying him upstairs. I sat him back down at his tea table and he pouted unhappily.

“Gee,” I sighed, kneeling down beside him. “I know that you want to play with me but I’m just a little bit busy right now, okay? Daddy needs to get everything set up.”

Gee sniffled and nodded, his eyes watering as he tried his hardest not to cry.

“Oh, Princess, don’t cry,” I said.

Gee hugged me tight, wrapping his arms around me. His face buried into the crook of my neck as he cried.

“Daddy, I-I just wanna play with you,” he whimpered.

“I know, Sweetheart, I’m just busy right now, I wish I could play with you,” I said.

“You do?” He asked and I nodded. “Okay then, I guess I’ll play with Evan.”

“Good boy, I’m so proud of you,” I said.

I kissed his cheek and he sat down on in his chair. I went back downstairs, dragging a box that said ‘clothes’ up to my bedroom. I always hated doing laundry but putting away every single piece of clothing was so tedious. I could hear Gee in the other room, talking and laughing as he played.

“No, Evan, you can’t eat that, that pan cake is for Daddy,” Gee said. “He’s workings right now but I’m saving it for him.”

I smiled softly, putting all my shirts on hangers.

“Squilly! That’s not nice!” Gee yelled.

He started crying and he ran downstairs. I heard his crying stop for a moment as he looked around in confusion before he came upstairs. As soon as he opened the door and saw me he started crying again.

“What is it, little bear?” I asked.

“Squilly was being mean,” he cried.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” I said. “How was he being mean?”

“H-he ate the pan cake that I was saving for you,” he whimpered. “That’s not nice, Daddy.”

“Well, think about it like this,” I said. “He’s just a squirrel and it’s almost winter so he’s gotta eat a lot and get nice and fat for the winter because he sleeps a lot.”

“Daddy you speaked and I didn’t understand,” he said.

“Nevermind, it’s okay that he ate my pancake, he was probably really hungry,” I said. “It’s time for you to go to sleep.”

I brought Gee to his very own room where he had his very own dresser and closet and wasn’t taking up my space anymore. I got Gee changed into a pink little nightgown. I tucked him into bed, smiling softly as I tucked both Squilly and Sebastian under his arms. I gave him his paci, kissing his forehead.

“And you even have your own little nightgown so you won’t be scared of sleeping in here alone,” I said. “Goodnight, beautiful.”

Gee smiled, slowly falling asleep. I went downstairs to try and unpack a few more things when I heard the doorbell ring. I hurried over to open the door, looking at Alicia on my front porch.

“Hey, I got your address from your manager because I had to tell you this in person,” Alicia said. “I’m pregnant.”


	21. Chapter 21

I couldn’t sleep all night as I tossed and turned in my bed. Gee ended up coming to cuddle with me but got annoyed from my lack of sleeping so he just went back to his room. My mind was just racing and spinning, my heart skipping beats.

Alicia...was pregnant?

As soon as the early morning sun rays came up I went downstairs. Alicia was on the couch, sleeping peacefully as I went into the kitchen to cook. I kept getting disoriented in the new place but soon I had a bunch of pancakes for everyone. Gee joined me when he woke up, his hair sticking up slightly from sleeping with his paci between his lips. 

Breakfast with the three of us was torturous. Gee ignored Alicia every time she tried to make conversation with him and he wouldn’t even let her look at the maple syrup. 

“She’s looking at it!” Gee cried, hiding the maple syrup behind his hands. 

“No, no I’m not,” she denied. “You can have all the maple syrup I promise I won’t touch it.”

Gee pouted quickly before running off to his room to play. 

“So, a-are you sure you’re pregnant?” I asked. 

“Yes, I’m sure,” she said. 

“And it’s mine?” I asked. 

Alicia nodded and I took a deep breath. 

“But I wanted to tell you that I’m not keepin it,” she said. 

“You’re getting an abortion?” I asked. 

“No, I’m putting the baby up for adoption,” she said. “Unless you would rather take it for yourself. It’s your decision whether you want to raise it or put it up for adoption.”

“O-oh, that’s a lot of pressure,” I muttered. 

“You don’t have to decide right now, you have nine months,” she said. “And I think I should go now, you two seem busy with the move.”

Alicia left and I sighed. Evan came by thirty minutes later and we sat on the couch. 

“Why’d you call me over?” He asked. 

“I, uh, I got Alicia pregnant,” I said quietly. 

“Shit, seriously?” He asked and I nodded. “Well, What are you guys gonna do with it?”

“It’s really just my decision,” I said. “She doesn’t wanna keep it but she isn’t getting an abortion. She said that I can keep the kid and raise it myself or she’s going to put it up for adoption.”

“What are you thinking?” He asked. 

“That’s the problem, I don’t know,” I said. “A baby is a big responsibility and, you know, we can’t exactly bring a baby on tour.”

“That’s a good point,” Evan said. 

“But at the same time it’s just…This is my child,” I said. “I-I can’t just give my child away.”

“Another good point,” he said. 

“This is all just really sudden, the band is actually starting to take off and I have Gee,” I said. “I can’t have a baby right now.”

Evan nodded and I bit my lip. 

“But this is my little boy or my little girl,” I said. 

“What if it’s twins and it’s both?” He asked. 

“Oh god,” I muttered, my head in my hands. “I-I don’t know what to do. I mean, I don’t know the first thing about taking care of babies.”

“You know we’ll all support you no matter what you choose, right?” Evan said and I nodded. “But didn’t you use protection?”

“Sh-she was on the pill,” I said.

“Pill doesn’t always work,” he said. 

“They’re more effective than condoms,” I said. “Besides, I didn’t have any condoms on me, I wasn’t expecting to have sex while on tour because I would have Gee by my side the whole time.”

“And you’re sure it’s your kid?” He asked. 

I nodded and he sighed. 

“That’s pretty heavy,” he said. “What are you leaning towards?”

“I-I don’t know, maybe it would be best to just put the kid up for adoption,” I said. “I mean, I’m gonna be on the road a lot and they need someone to take care of them.”

“That’s okay if you wanna give the kid up,” Evan said. 

I sighed, nodding my head. 

“I think that’s the best decision,” I said. 

Evan patted my back just as Gee walked in. 

“Hey, Gee, Do you like the new house?” Evan asked. 

Gee nodded. “Come see my princess room.”

I leaned back on the couch, my thoughts racing a mile a minute. I was going to give the baby up. But…it’s my baby. The stress was already building up and soon I could feel hot tears running down my cheeks. 

“D-Daddy?” Gee whimpered. 

I looked up at Gee, watching the way his lip quivered. 

“Oh, Princess, d-don’t cry,” I muttered. 

Gee ran over into my arms, sobbing into my shoulder.

“Oh, Princess, you’re so sweet,” I muttered.

I rubbed his back as we both cried.

“Daddy, wh-why are you crying?” He whimpered.

“Nothing, Baby, it’s just stress,” I said.

“I don’t know what that is,” he said quietly.

“Nothing,” I mumbled.

Evan walked back in, picking up Gee.

“Come on, Gee, I think we should go and let Frank have some time to himself to just think,” he said.

Gee nodded softly and Evan brought him downstairs to play. I bit my lip, burying my face into my hands. There’s just so many different points to this. I can’t raise a child, I don’t know the first thing about children. I wasn’t sure what to do. This was my child, after all, how could I just send my baby away to go live with some other family?

“Gee, no!” Evan shouted. “I don’t like this game!”

Gee ran up the stairs and out to the backyard, which was thankfully fenced in.

“Is he playing run from Evan?” I asked.

“Yes, he is,” I asked.

I went into the backyard and smiled softly when I saw Gee looking around curiously. I held his hand, gently leading him back inside. 

“Evan, what do you think I should do?” I asked.

“I can’t make that decision for you, Frank,” he said.

“Yes you can,” I said. “Please.”

“No,” he said. “Maybe you should call and talk to my sister about it.”

“I don’t know, I don’t wanna hurt her or anything by talking about it with her,” I said. “I know that she still likes me and I don’t think that talking to her about the accidental love child I had with some girl I just had a hook up with is really going to be like a stab in the heart for her. I care about her a lot, I don’t wanna hurt her at all.”

“She’s going to find out about it at some point,” Evan said.

“B-but maybe if I choose to put the baby up for adoption then Alicia will just be out of here and she won’t have to know at all,” I said.

“Frank, I think that my sister is tougher than you think,” Evan said. 

I nodded my head, closing my eyes. I felt Gee let go of my hand and soon he came back, putting something in my hand. I looked down at the weeds he had picked, the yellow dandelions bright and cheery.

“Here’s flowers to make you feel better,” he said. “Because I think flowers are pretty and they make me happy so they can make you happy too because you’re being sads and I don’t like you being sads.”

“Thank you,” I said, kissing his cheek.

My phone rang and I sighed when I saw it was Alicia.

“Hey,” I said quietly.

“Hey, I just wanted to tell you that I have my first doctor’s appointment tomorrow,” she said. “And I was thinking that maybe you can come join me. You can talk to some of the doctors there or something about whether or not adoption is the best option.”

“Is that what the doctors do?” I asked.

“I don’t know, I’ve never actually been pregnant,” she said.

“B-but you’re sure that the baby is mine?” I asked.

“Yes, I haven’t had sex in a year ever since I was with my last boyfriend. This baby is definitely yours, Frank,” she said. “So, you wanna come with me to the appointment?”

“Yeah, I-I guess I can do that,” I said.

“Great, I was actually really nervous,” she said. “I was not planning on having kids so I was so worried going there all alone.”

“Yeah, I’ll be there,” I said. “What time is it at?”

“It’s at two,” she said.

“Okay, I’ll meet you there. Or do you need me to give you a ride?” I asked.

“No I’m good, I don’t need a ride,” she said. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

I hung up, going to sit on the couch. I laid down and closed my eyes.

“Wh-what’s wrong with Daddy?” I heard Gee whimper.

“He’s just kind of in a bad mood,” Evan said. “It’s kinda like when you and Squilly have fights, he’s kind of having a fight too and it’s making him upset because he doesn’t know what to do.”

I felt Gee snuggle up to my side and I opened my eyes, smiling as I looked down at him, running my fingers through his black hair.

“Daddy, I think you should do whatever makes you smile,” he said. “Pan cakes make me smile. Daddy, make me pan cakes.”

“I made pancakes for breakfast,” I said. “There’s some leftover in the fridge for you. I’ll go heat some up for you.”

I grabbed some pancakes and put them into the microwave. Gee gasped and sat in front of it, watching it spin in awe. 

“Thanks for coming,” I said as I walked into the living room. “I was just freaking out a bit.”

“Hey, it’s perfectly understandable,” he said. “You got a girl pregnant, of course you’re gonna be upset. It’s huge, man.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna go to the doctor’s with her tomorrow and maybe talk to some doctor’s or something,” I said. “But, yeah, I think that I am going to give the baby up for adoption. I just can’t have a kid right now. The band is starting to take off now and we’re going to be on the road and I’ve already got Gee to take care of. I just really can’t have a baby right now, the baby will have the best chance being given up for adoption.”

Evan nodded my head before he walked out.

“Daddy! Daddy! Warm Evan made a beep!” Gee shouted.

I smiled, going into the kitchen to help him. I already had Gee, having another baby would just be too much.


	22. Chapter 22

My breath stopped when I saw the ultrasound. A little sound played as I watched.

“I-Is that the--”

“The heartbeat, yes,” the doctor said.

I nodded, my eyes watering.

“I can’t believe this,” I muttered. “That’s...that’s my baby.”

“Frank, are you thinking about keeping it?” Alicia asked.

“I-I...I don’t know,” I mumbled. “I think I am. That’s my little baby in there, I love them already.”

“Really?” She asked. “You’re gonna raise this baby all by yourself?”

“No, I-I don’t know,” I muttered. “I’m just seeing this little baby here and I just don’t think that I’m going to be able to give this baby away.”

“Well, the baby looks to be developing well and is healthy,” she said. “Now, we need to talk about the things for the mom.”

“Mm, please don’t say mom, I’m not keeping it, I’m not the mom,” Alicia said. “I am just the...the birth giver.”

“Okay, well, we need to make sure to give you all the vitamins,” she said. 

They talked but all I could do was smile and stare at my little baby. Soon we had to go and the doctor handed me a picture of the ultrasound. I smiled softly as I looked down at it.

Jamia was at my house playing with Gee when I walked in. They were at the table coloring and I smiled happily as I kissed Gee’s cheek.

“Hey, how was he?” I asked.

“He was fine,” Jamia said. “How was...how was the appointment?”

“It was great,” I said as I sat down. “I heard the little heartbeat and I almost cried. I-Is it crazy that I’m actually thinking about keeping the baby?”

“W-well, the baby would have the best dad in the whole world,” she said. “They would live an amazing life with you and you would love them with all of your heart. You’re so sweet and caring, they would have the best dad in your whole life.”

“Really?” I asked and she nodded.

“You’re gonna be an amazing parent,” she said. “Whether it be with this kid or another one in the future when you’re married and stuff.”

“I-I was thinking about keeping them but, you know, the band is starting to take off and this just isn’t the right time,” I said. “And I’ll be on the road a lot while on tour.”

“Well, when we’re on tour maybe I can watch your kid, I’m already watching Gee,” she offered.

“I-I don’t know,” I mumbled. “I can’t really bring a baby on tour.”

“Maybe you won’t go on tour until the baby is a little bit bigger,” she said. “You can just do local shows or overnight shows. We’re right near New York so that’s great. And then, you know, maybe when you guys go on a big tour I can stay home with Gee and the baby.”

“But...you always do our things for us, you’re like our rock,” I said quietly. “W-we can’t go on tour alone.”

“Yes you can,” she said with a small chuckle. “You’re gonna get the hang of managing yourselves while on the road but you know I’ll always be a phone call away.”

I bit my lip, looking down at my hands.

“Maybe...adoption would just be the easiest choice,” I said.

“If that’s what you want to do then that’s okay,” she said.

“Do you wanna see the picture of the ultrasound?” I asked.

I handed her the little picture and she smiled.

“I can’t wait until I have my own kids,” she said quietly.

“You’re gonna be an amazing mom one day, Mia,” I said. “I just hope that one day my kids have a mother that’s as great as you.”

Jamia smiled over at me and I couldn’t help but smile back. She had such a pretty smile.

“Frank, you’re so sweet,” she said. “No wonder you’ve always gotten so many girls when we were in high school. You must’ve just been sweet-talking all of them I guess.”

“I mean it, Mia, I really do,” I said. “One day you’re gonna have your own kids and they are gonna be the luckiest kids in the world to have you as their mom. You really are so amazing, Mia.”

She smiled, shaking her head as she blushed. I smiled, giving her hand a soft squeeze.

“Come on, you are amazing,” I said. “You’re an amazing friend, amazing manager, amazing future mom.”

“‘Mazing!” Gee cheered.

He looked over at the picture and frowned.

“What’s that?” He asked. “Is it an Evan?”

“No, it’s not an Evan,” I said.

“Gee, why don’t you go play with Seb Seb?” Jamia suggested.

Gee ran upstairs to his room and I looked down at the picture.

“Mia, a-are you sure that I’m really making the right decision?” I asked.

“Well, you still seem unsure on your decision,” she said.

I bit my lip. “A-adoption, I’m putting the baby up for adoption.”

Jamia nodded, squeezing my hand.

“Putting the baby up really is for the best,” she said. “I mean, if that’s what you really want. Gee needs a lot of attention and care and you have the band and you were just signed to a record label. Maybe it’d be easier if you had a partner who could care for the baby while you’re on large tours but you would be doing this all by yourself and that is a lot of hard work and a lot of responsibility to take on all at once.”

I nodded, looking down at the picture a little sadly. My doorbell rang and I opened the door to a police officer on my doorstep.

“Hey, is something wrong?” I asked.

“No, actually, we found Gee’s family,” he said. 

I immediately pulled him in and sat him down at the table with me and Jamia.

“Y-you found Gee’s family?” I asked.

“Yes, this small family from California,” he said. “Apparently nineteen years ago their baby was kidnapped near South New Jersey on the Fourth of July.”

“Really?” Jamia asked.

“Yeah, apparently they were at a fireworks show and it was dark and they turned their backs for a second and then when they turned back the stroller was empty,” he said. “His name is Gerard Way.”

“G-Gerard Way?” I asked. “That sounds so unfitting, he’s just little Gee.”

“His parents are Donna and Donald Way and he has a seventeen year old brother named Mikey,” he said. “They live out in LA, they moved there about two years after Gee went missing and he was presumed dead. They were so happy when they found out he was still okay.”

“Okay, so, they’re gonna come on visits and stuff like that?” I asked.

“No, Frank, they’re taking him back to LA to live with him,” he said.

“Oh, well, of course, th-that makes sense,” I said. “I mean, they are his family after all.”

“They’re really excited to see him again,” he said. “They’re flying up tomorrow.”

“T-tomorrow? Th-that’s so soon,” I said.

Jamia held my hand underneath the table and gave it a gentle squeeze. Her touch seemed to relieve me so much, it was so comforting.

“But they’re gonna stay like a week or something before they actually go, right?” I asked. “You know, just to let Gee adjust to them.”

“No, they told me they wanted to take him right back to California, they already missed so much time with him and they don’t want to miss any more of it.”

I nodded my head when there were some words over his walkie talkie.

“I have to go,” he said. “I just wanted to come by to warn you, they’re coming by soon so you should start getting his stuff packed up.”

He walked out and I looked at Jamia, my eyes watering.

“Th-this is so great,” I whimpered. “He can finally find his family and be happy with them. And the family finally has their son back. Th-that’s so--that’s so g-great.”

“Frank, it’s okay to be upset,” Jamia whispered.

I broke down crying in her arms as she ran her fingers through my hair.

“I’m gonna miss him,” I whimpered.

“I know, I am too,” she said. “He’s a good friend of ours now and he’s just being taken away.”

There were quiet footsteps and I looked over at Gee. When he saw us crying he started crying too.

“Wh-why are we crying?” He whimpered.

“Because we’re happy,” I said. “Th-they finally found your family and they’re gonna love you so much.”

“We happy crying?” Gee asked.

“Y-yeah,” I lied.

I kissed his cheek and smiled.

“You know what, I think that we should just have the best night ever,” Jamia said. “We can stay up past your bedtime and just eat a bunch of desserts.”

Gee giggled happily and clapped his hands.

“Alright, I’m gonna run to the store,” Jamia said. “And I’ll call the others to come over, we’ll have a little party.”

I nodded and she left as I stood up. I smiled sadly, wrapping my arms around Gee.

“I love you, Gee, you’re my best friend,” I said.

“Sebastian is my best friend,” Gee said. “But you’re my number two friend.”

“Thanks, Gee,” I said with a small chuckle.

I held his hand, pulling him downstairs. I cleaned up his toys and smiled as I turned on some music. Gee giggled and jumped happily after dumping his toys out again. I held his hands and Gee danced, waving my arms around as he jumped. The others came over and Mia brought in a whole bunch of desserts. Gee looked at the neon green jello dome in fear.

“D-Daddy,” Gee whimpered.

Gee poked the jello and it jiggled, making him cry.

“No, sweetheart, it’s okay,” I said. “It’s not scary, I promise that it’s tasty.”

Gee refused to eat it but dug into everything else. We all talked and laughed while Gee ran around screaming from his sugar rush. He ended up passing out, crashing right face first on the floor as he snored. The others left pretty quickly after that, all giving sad kisses to Gee’s cheek. I picked Gee up, carrying him upstairs. I changed him into his pajamas and cuddled up beside him.

I wrapped my arms around him, laying with him in his bed. I closed my eyes, crying quietly as I hugged him. They were gonna take my little princess away, soon I was gonna be all alone.


	23. Chapter 23

The doorbell rang and I looked over at it sadly. I opened the door and looked over at his family. The mom had blonde hair and was rather small while his dad was taller and a bit chubby. His brother was also tall with brown hair and glasses.

“You must be the Way family,” I said.

“Yes, I’m Donald, and you’re Frank,” his dad said.

“Gee!” I called.

There were footsteps and Gee ran over. He looked at the people nervously and Donna started crying when she hugged him.

“H-he’s small,” Donald remarked.

“Yeah, he was stunted because of malnourishment,” I said.

Gee cried, squirming out of her arms. He hugged me tight and I sighed. I bent down to his height and smiled sadly.

“Alright, Gee, you’re gonna go and have a lot of fun now, okay?” I asked. “Like when we went on tour, you’re gonna travel really far and see so many new places.”

“Okay, let’s go,” Gee said, pulling me out the door with him.

“No, no,” I said. “You’re gonna go without me. You’re gonna have a lot of fun. You have Squilly and Seb Seb and your binkie.”

I put his paci in his mouth as his lip quivered.

“And you still have your little flip phone so you can call me whenever you want,” I said. “I’m gonna miss you so much but you’re gonna go have fun with your family now.”

I kissed his forehead, handing Donald a pink suitcase. Donna took Gee’s hand and I watched them all get into the car, driving away. As soon as the door shut I broke down sobbing. I went upstairs to Gee’s room, curling up in his bed as I cried into his pillow.

“Hey, Frankie,” Jamia said quietly. “They picked him up already?”

I nodded, looking up at her. Jamia laid beside me and and I wrapped my arms around her as I cried.

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay,” she whispered.

I nodded when my phone rang.

“H-hello?” I asked.

“Daddy!” He cried. “I’m scared. These people are taking me away from you.”

“No they aren’t, they’re your family, you’re gonna go live with them now,” I said.

Someone in the background on his end said something and he hung up. I sniffled quietly, sitting up.

“D-do you think you can get us a show soon?” I asked. “I think now I can really just start focusing on my music career.”

Jamia smiled and nodded, holding my hand.

“But...I think I kinda just wanna lay here with you for a little longer,” I mumbled.

I wrapped my arms around her, my head resting on her shoulder as I fell asleep. 

Mia was still there when I woke up, running her fingers through my hair.

“Thanks for staying here with me,” I mumbled.

“Of course,” she said.

I kissed her cheek, smiling as I wrapped my arms around her.

“You’re the best, I love having you in my life,” I said.

“Come on, I think that you should go downstairs,” she said. “When did you eat last?”

“Yesterday, I was too sick to eat at all today,” I said.

“It’s already three in the afternoon,” she said. “Come on, I’ll go make you something.”

She took my hand and brought me downstairs. I sat on the couch while she cooked. My eyes glanced over and I frowned when I saw Sebastian sitting on the couch.

“Oh, Seb Seb,” I muttered.

I hugged Sebastian sadly, laying down on the couch. Jamia came back with a bowl of macaroni and cheese. She kneeled beside me, running her fingers through my hair.

“I know you’re upset, Frankie, it’s perfectly understandable,” she said. “We all miss him, sweet little Gee is gone now.”

I nodded my head, closing my eyes.

“Come on, sweetheart, it’s time to eat,” she said. “You’ve gotta eat, Frankie.”

I sat up and Jamia turned on the tv. Teletubbies automatically turned on because it had been playing last and my lip quivered.

“Frankie, it’s okay,” she said quietly. “You know that it’s going to be okay. He is going to go live with his family, people who have been missing him for almost twenty years now. He’s gonna be with his family and he’s gonna be happy.”

“I know, I’m just gonna miss him,” I said quietly.

“We can go visit sometimes,” she said. “And maybe when you do a tour around the country then you can stop by in California to visit him because he’s right in LA. He can come to your show where you’ll perform and he’ll just spend the entire time napping and complaining.”

I chuckled softly. “He really does that when he’s at my shows?” 

“Yeah, he does,” she said. “It’s a lot cuter than it sounds.”

“Speaking of, at the last show of tour did he, like, wander off or talk to some random drunk people at all?” I asked. 

“No, I kept him by my side the whole time,” Jamia said. 

I frowned as I ate quietly when Jamia changed the channel. We watched tv for a little while and I set my bowl down on the coffee table when I was done.

“I’m gonna...I’m gonna need to pack up Gee’s stuff and mail it out there,” I said. “And he forget poor little Seb Seb. Do you think that the plane has left yet? I can maybe make it to give him back his stuffie. He’s never been on a plane before, he’s gonna be freaking out. If he doesn’t have Seb Seb he’s gonna have a complete meltdown.”

“I’m sorry, Frank, but their flight left ten minutes ago,” she said quietly.

I nodded my head, sniffling quietly. I went downstairs and picked up my guitar, grabbing my notepad.

“You writing a song?” Jamia asked, sitting down on the couch next to me.

I nodded, strumming a few random chords before I sighed.

“I don’t know,” I muttered. “I can’t do it. My heart hurts.”

Jamia reached over, holding both my hands in hers.

“Frank, you’re gonna be okay,” she said. “I know you’re hurting now but you’re gonna be okay, really. It’s hard to lose someone you thought was going to be in your life permanently.”

“I-I bought a new house for him, I spent days decorating and finishing his bedroom,” I said. “And I even bought him a Christmas present. He has never even heard of Christmas. I-I was so excited to decorate the tree with him and to wake up with him on Christmas morning and open presents with him and make those little tree shaped pancakes for him like how my mom used to do when I was little.”

“That’s so sweet,” Jamia said.

I nodded my head, sniffling quietly.

“A-and I was gonna get him little Christmas themed matching pajamas and I was gonna have my own matching pair and when it snowed I was gonna take him sledding and make a snowman with him and...and now I won’t be able to show him all these things,” I said.

“Well, his new family can show him what Christmas is,” she said.

“But I doubt they pull all the stops for Christmas, the other kid is seventeen it’s not like he believes in Santa,” I Said. “They don’t know to show him all these stuff. They don’t know how to take care of him at all. I-I should’ve written something out for them. I should’ve put down all his likes and his dislikes and just how to take care of him.”

“They’ll be able to figure it out just like how you figured it out,” she said and I nodded. “Gee is going to be fine.”

“I know, I’m just protective of him,” I said. “I don’t want him getting hurt.”

Jamia kissed my cheek gently and I smiled.

“Mia, I was thinking and I don’t know...it may be irrational but I feel as though the house is gonna be so empty and I will be so open now I was thinking that maybe I can keep the baby,” I Said.

“You have to make sure you think this through very thoroughly,” she said. “A child is a big responsibility. You’re twenty two, Frank, are you sure that you’re ready to have a child? You’re single, young and trying to get your band to start off. A child is a big deal, they require attention all day long every single day.”

“But...this is a my child,” I said quietly. “You know, I made this little human and I...I want to be able to watch them grow and I want to show them the best music and I want to teach them guitar and teach them to sing. I want to be there for them for their first school play and their first science fair and first time they lose a tooth. I wanna watch them grow up and go off to college where I’m probably going to cry as I watch them leave. And I want to watch them get married and have my own little grandkids.”

“You’re gonna be an amazing dad,” Jamia said. “Whether it’s in nine months as a single dad or nine years when you’re married and settled down. And if you choose to keep the baby now then you are going to be a great father to them. Even if you don’t know quite what you’re doing you’ll be able to figure it out. Gee was a struggle for everyone but within just a few days you knew exactly just how to handle him and take care of him. You’ll be able to take care of a little baby no problem in just a few days. Kids are hard but you’re just so caring and loving.”

I smiled, wrapping my arms around her.

“I just want this baby to grow up happy and healthy,” I said. “And I know that they would be so well off just being adopted by someone else but, like, I just imagine me missing their entire life and all the big moments like their first steps and their first words and it makes my heart ache. I haven’t even put them up for adoption yet and I already regret it.”

“You’re gonna be so amazing,” she said. “I know that it’s going to be perfect with whatever you choose. Giving your kid up for adoption is really hard but it’s up to you to decide what’s actually best for the child, even if that means missing the milestones.”

I nodded my head, resting my head on her shoulder as my heart ached and mind spun..


	24. Chapter 24

We finished up the concert and I sighed, running a hand through my hair. I closed my eyes, tears threatening to spill. I went back to the dressing room and sighed as I sat down.

“You okay, Frank?” Evan asked.

“I don’t know,” I muttered. “I just miss him, I feel like he’s been gone for years already.”

He gave me a hug and we waited for the place to clear out before we went back out. I walked to the merch table and sighed, sitting down as I looked at Jamia sadly. She kissed my cheek gently as she smiled.

“I know how to put a smile on your face,” she said. “We sold almost a hundred CDs and about fifteen vinyls.”

I sniffled, wrapping my arms around her.

“I love you,” I muttered.

She smiled and stood up.

“Come on, we need to get cleaned up,” she said. 

I helped pack the instruments into the trailer hooked up to the van. I helped next with the merch, packing everything into the buckets. They dropped me off at home and I went upstairs, stripping down to my boxers. I curled up in Gee’s bed, sniffling as I hugged Sebastian and fell asleep slowly.

I woke up to the door opening and someone sighed. Jamia sat beside me and I whimpered as she ran her fingers through my hair. She kissed my forehead gently and I yawned.

“Frankie, you can’t keep sleeping in his bed,” she whispered.

I got up and the two of us watched tv on the couch for hours while eating snacks. My phone rang and I frowned when I saw it was Donald.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Hi, uh, what do you do when Gerard throws food and refuses to shower?” He asked.

“Put him in time out for throwing food,” I said. “And he doesn’t like showers, he likes baths. But he can’t bathe himself so one of you guys have to give him a bath.”

“Oh, okay,” he said.

“What were you trying to feed him?” I asked.

“Spaghetti,” he said.

“No, he hates spaghetti, he thinks the noodles are icky,” I said. “He loves pancakes.”

I could hear screaming in the background and I can only imagine him laying on the ground throwing a fit.

“A-also, how do you stop him from throwing fits?” He asked.

“Just try cuddling him,” I said.

“We tried that but he won’t let us touch him, he just keeps screaming and kicking us,” he said.

“You just have to let him get used to you,” I said. “I mean, imagine this from his point of view. He was taken away from his home and friends to the other side of the country to live with the family that he doesn’t even know. He’s just scared, like a little kid going to school for the first time.”

“Okay, thank you,” he said. “I’m sorry, this is just a lot more difficult than we thought, we were expecting a twenty year old, not a five year old.”

I listened to the screaming sadly.

“C-can I talk to him?” I asked.

There was some rustling and the screaming quieted down.

“Hey, Princess,” I said softly. “How are you feeling?”

“I miss you,” Gee whimpered.

“I know you do, beautiful,” I said. “I miss you too, I miss you so much but you need to be a good little boy for your parents, okay? They’re just trying to take care of you.”

“But I only want you,” he whimpered.

“I know but I can’t take care of you anymore,” I said quietly. “I-I have to go now.”

“N-no,” Gee cried.

I felt my heart shatter and I never wanted to hang up but I knew I had to. Jamia wrapped an arm around my shoulders when I hung up, kissing my cheek gently.

“Come on, you wanna go to the movies to get your mind off things?” She asked.

I shook my head, my hand going to grab the picture off the table.

“I still don’t know what to do about the baby,” I said. “What would you do if you were in my position?”

“If I were starting off a band just as I got someone pregnant?” She asked and I nodded. “Well, a baby would be a huge, sudden responsibility and with everything going on and that wouldn’t make life any easier. The band would be taking off you would be on the road a lot doing shows and interviews and meet and greets. Babies need to be fed, like, every two hours and they need their diapers changed almost every other hour and they need to be held while their screaming and crying and they need constant attention.”

I nodded, looking down sadly.

“I...I guess that I should put the baby up for adoption,” I said. “It would be the best for them. They could have a financially stable two-parent household. They shouldn’t have to be with some single dad who is still living off his parents financially. And they shouldn’t have to live with someone who is either always away or they have to be dragged out on the road with me. They could instead be living in a nice little house with a white picket fence with two parents. They can be happy and in a stable home.”

Jamia nodded, giving my hand a soft squeeze.

“I just...I just....” I trailed off, looking down at the picture sadly. “I just keep thinking about how I’m going to miss their first steps and their first words and the way their little baby hands would curl around the tip of my finger and they would just know that I would always be there to protect them.”

“And you will be able to have that one day,” Jamia said. “You’ll have that one day when you’ve got your music figured out and you’re married and you’ll have your own little kids when the time is right when you’re actually able to take care of them and spend a lot of time with them.”

“I feel like it’ll be forever before I meet the person that I will actually fall in love with and get married to,” I said. “I never really wanted or thought about having kids before but now it’s just...there’s this little life that is going to be brought into the world because of me. I’m going to have a little baby born, my own child and suddenly all I could think about is children and little babies.”

“I know but the baby will have the best shot being put up for adoption,” she said. “There are people who have been waiting for years to have a child, they are prepared and ready. You’ve just figured it out, you don’t even know how to take care of a baby and they’ve been preparing for years. The baby will be able to go to someone who loves them so much, someone who has been dreaming of having them for years.”

I nodded sadly and she wrapped her arms around me.

“And then one day when you’re really ready you’re gonna go and have your own little babies,” she said. “Maybe you can have an open adoption and they’ll send you pictures at their milestones.”

I nodded, tears rolling down my cheeks.

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay,” she whispered. “You’re doing what’s best for the baby.”

“Th-that’s what everyone keeps telling me b-but it still just hurts so much,” I whimpered.

“It was pretty hard doing everything with Gee, wasn’t it?” Jamia asked and I nodded. “And Gee may be really childlike but babies are still so much harder. I mean, Gee can walk and talk and go to the bathroom without you wiping his ass. It was hard trying to manage both Gee and the band and work but he could even stay home alone for twenty minutes and he can use a cell phone.”

“I know...I-I can’t have this baby now,” I said. “It’s just too busy with the band and stuff. Someone else is gonna raise my baby and they’re all gonna be really happy together.”

Jamia smiled softly, gently wiping my tears.

“I-it’s just...I’m just losing both Gee and the baby all at once and it’s just a little bit too much,” I mumbled.

“I know it is,” she said. “It’s pretty hard on you.”

I sniffled, kissing her cheek.

“I just wish that maybe Alicia wanted to keep the baby so that way I can keep the baby too,” I said. “I can take care of them and love them and watch them grow and she is able to watch them while we’re on the road on tour.”

“Well, I’m sorry but Alicia is flaky, she just wants to keep being able to go off and have fun, she doesn’t want to be tethered down to kids,” Jamia said. “But you know that one day you’re gonna find someone else to love who is willing to settle down and have kids with you.”

“Thanks, Mia,” I muttered. “I really don’t think I know what I would do without you.”

“Yeah and look, now I live right down the street so if you ever need me I’m a few houses away,” Jamia said. “I’ll be here whenever you need me in less than five minutes.”

“Thank you,” I mumbled.

“Now, what do you wanna do?” Jamia asked. “You really have to try and get your mind off things.”

“I don’t know, I just miss Gee and I don’t think anything is going to make me feel better,” I said.

“Gee is with his family now, I miss him so much too but he’s with his family where he could be happy,” Jamia said. “They missed him for nineteen years, they are finally able to have their son back.”

“I know, it isn’t really fair for me to keep Gee when he has a family that missed him so much,” I said. “But I just miss him a lot.”

I looked down sadly and she held my hand.

“It’s okay, Frank, he’s somewhere happier now,” she said. “He’s with his family who’s going to be able to take care of him and love him.”

I nodded my head, sniffling as I laid my head on her, slowly falling asleep.


	25. Chapter 25

I got home from another show, my head hurting from crying so much this past week. I walked up the front walk and found Gee and Mr. Way sitting on the front porch. Gee squealed, jumping into my arms. I smiled, taking in a deep breath as I smelled his strawberry shampoo. 

“Princess,” I muttered. 

I tried to set him down but he refused to let go. I held him on my hip as I looked at Donald when he stood up. 

“What are you doing?” I asked. 

“We were waiting for you, it’s almost midnight,” he said. 

“I know, I had a show,” I said, opening the door. 

It was so cold outside, little specks of snow drifted down from the sky. I sighed as I pried Gee off, wrapping him up in a blanket. 

“You want some coffee?” I asked. 

“No, I’m not staying long,” Donald said. 

“What are you doing here?” I asked. 

We sat on the couch and Gee sat on my lap, wrapped up in a blanket as he nuzzled against me. 

“Gee is a lot harder to take care of than we thought,” he said. “We don’t think we can take care of him anymore.”

“He’s your son,” I said. “You’re just gonna toss him away when you realize he was different than you thought? You only had him for a week, he would need time to adjust.”

“He wears princess dresses and plays with toys,” Donald said. 

“Yes and that is your son and you should love him for who he is,” I said. “Who cares if your son is a little bit different? He was the one who was kidnapped because you weren’t paying attention to him. He is like this because of you.”

“He’s just a lot more than we signed up for,” Donald said. 

He got up and walked to the door while I followed, Gee sitting on the couch happily. 

“Your son is more than you signed up for?” I asked. “You don’t even care about him.”

“He’s the one that always kicks us,” Donald said. 

“You are the fucking adult!” I shouted. “He is developmentally disabled, he is the one who needs you. He needs you to teach him things and care for him.”

“Yeah, we didn’t really sign up for a retarded adult,” Donald said before walking out. 

I gasped, wanting to chase him out before I just shook my head. I sat next to Gee, wrapping my arms around him. 

“I missed you so much,” I said. 

“Daddy you weren’ts there and it was scawy,” he said. 

I kissed his cheek and smiled. I wrapped my arms around him, smiling happily. 

“It’s late, Baby,” I said. “I think you should head to sleep.”

I carried him upstairs and got him changed into pajamas. I tucked him into his princess bed, smiling when he pulled me to cuddle with him. The two of us quickly passed out together.

I woke up to the sound of the front door opening. I heard the fridge open and the sound of something sizzling in a pan. I yawned as I looked down at Gee, Who was sleeping peacefully. I kissed his cheek and climbed out of bed, walking downstairs. 

“Good morning,” Jamia said. “I got some vegetarian bacon for you. And there were some boxes that were on the front porch I brought inside.”

I went into the living room and opened the first box of three. It had Gee’s things and I figured the rest were the same, Donald must’ve brought them back with them. 

“Gee is back,” I said.

Jamia ran in and gasped. 

“His dad brought him back,” I said. “He’s up in his room.”

“Watch the stove!” She exclaimed. 

I chuckled, going to the stove as I heard squeals upstairs. The two came down cuddling together happily. 

“I missed you, my little bear,” Jamia cooed. 

Gee looked down sadly as he sniffled. 

“I’m not Gee Bear,” he mumbled sadly. “That’s not my name. I’m G-Gewad Way.”

I smiled softly as Gee struggled to say his own name. 

“You’re still my little Gee Bear,” Jamia said, kissing his cheek. 

Jamia came over to help me finish cooking. 

“If you were here I would’ve made you pancakes,” Jamia said. “I hope you like French toast.”

Gee started crying loudly and I flinched. 

“No, he doesn’t like French toast,” I said. “He doesn’t like that it looks like toast but doesn’t taste like toast, he said the bread is tricking him.”

Jamia chuckled. “I think you’ve got some pancake mix in the cupboard then.”

I started making some pancakes for him and I smiled as he played with his stuffies at the table. We sat around eating and I got a text. 

_Alicia: Where are you?_

I gasped, dripping my fork. 

“Shit, I forgot I was supposed to meet Alicia for her doctor’s appointment,” I said. 

“Y-you said a naughty word,” Gee whimpered. 

“I’m sorry,” I said, kissing his cheek as I stood up. “Can you watch him?”

Jamia nodded and I ran out to the car. I hurried to the hospital and up to the room. They were talking and I cursed quietly. 

“Just in time to miss the boring talking parts,” Alicia said. 

I watched the ultrasound, smiling as I watched the baby in there. They were so big already. 

“Would you like to know the sex?” She asked. 

“We can already know the sex?” I gasped. 

“We don’t want to know,” Alicia said. 

“I do,” I said. 

“Frank, we’re giving the baby up,” she said. “We talked about this and we decided already.”

“But we’ll need to know for the people adopting,” I said. 

Alicia but her lip and nodded. 

“Alright, you’re having a little boy,” the doctor said. 

“A-a boy?” I asked, my eyes watering. 

She smiled and nodded, moving the wand over her stomach. She printed off another picture and I stared at it, crying quietly as the appointment finished up. 

“Come on, Frank, you know this is what’s best for the baby,” Alicia said. 

I nodded my head, getting into my car. As soon as I was alone I broke down sobbing. A boy, I was gonna have a little boy. I was gonna have a little boy but I was gonna give him up for adoption. 

I wiped my eyes and went home. Jamia and Gee were downstairs playing when I got home. Jamia came up and frowned softly when she saw me. 

“I’m having a boy,” I said quietly. 

She wrapped her arms around me and I cried. 

“Mia, I-I don’t think I can do it,” I sobbed. “I can’t give him up, he’s my son.”

She rubbed my back gently as I cried. 

“Mia...I-I can’t,” I sobbed. 

“I know,” she said quietly. “Just think about the responsibility and the time and the money.”

I nodded, thinking of the worst scenario possible. Working three jobs with no sleep and constantly being taking care of my screaming son. 

“Okay, Do you still want the baby?” Jamia asked, her hands on my shoulders. . 

I sniffled and nodded. “As long as I have my family then I’m okay.”

“Okay,” She said. 

“Okay What?” I asked. 

“Okay, I think you should keep the baby,” she said. “You’re doing this out of pure love, you will love and care for this baby no matter what and that is all that matters.”

“Thank you,” I whispered. “E-everyone is gonna tell me that I’m making a mistake.”

“This is your son, Frank, and if you think you are doing the right thing then you are doing the right thing,” Jamia said. 

I hugged her tight, feeling my heart race. 

“This is really it then, I’m really gonna have a son,” I muttered. “D-do you think we can go on tour before he’s born? And then maybe after this tour we can just do local shows and stuff while working on new music for a new album.”

“You don’t have to rush yourself, Frank, the label isn’t going to drop you just because you have a child, they’ll understand,” she said. 

“I know but I want to get some money,” I said. “I mean, I didn’t do this because of the money or anything but, you know, it really doesn’t hurt. I want as much money for the baby as possible and not just from my parents. I-I wanna get a job but I can’t really because I’ll be taking care of the baby and Gee.”

“Your CDs are selling online,” she said. “That’s really good, people are starting to really like you. Alright, you should get, like, a twitter or Instagram.”

“Why?” I asked. 

“Because having social media is good for publicity, it makes you more personal and relatable and people will like you and the band more,” she said. 

I sighed and grabbed my phone. I made social media accounts and sighed. 

“Just post a pic,” she said. 

“Of what?” I asked. 

“Of anything, just make it, like, funny or relatable or something,” I said. 

I looked at Squilly and Sebastian on the armchair and chuckled. Gee had placed them so they were sitting next to each other holding hands. I took a little picture and smiled. 

“He’s a cutie,” I muttered. “What should I do for the caption?”

“Maybe just say something about working on music,” she said. 

I made a little caption that said ‘hard at work on music while these two relax’.

“Cute,” Jamia muttered. 

I smiled as I read it over. 

“Okay, And you can link the Instagram post with a twitter post,” she said. 

Jamia taught me how to do it and I smiled. 

“Thanks, Mia,” I said. 

She helped me put the link to the website in my bio. I went and followed some people, mostly just artists I liked. 

“I’ll try and get you a tour soon,” she said. “Maybe we’ll go down to Florida, we can take Gee to Disneyland.”

I smiled and nodded, watching Gee run up the stairs. He curled up on my lap and I smiled happily. Suddenly everything seemed to be falling into place.


	26. Chapter 26

“And then Santa comes and put presents under the tree for me?” Gee asked.

“Yeah, you’ve been such a good boy you get so many nice presents,” I said.

I tucked him into bed, kissing his forehead.

“Daddy, it’s cold in here,” he said.

“Alright, I’ll turn the heat up,” I said. “You just need to get some sleep now.”

“I can’t, Daddy, I’m too excited,” he said.

He kicked the blanket off, getting up to go run around the house. I sighed, letting himself tire himself out. Soon he fell asleep right on the living room floor. I smiled, carrying him upstairs. I tucked him into bed and went to my bedroom, quickly falling asleep.

The next morning I could hear screaming all around my house. I yawned, burying my face into the pillow. Gee came and jumped on my bed, accidentally jumping on me multiple times. He shrieked, pulling the blanket off me.

“Santa came!” Gee screamed.

He tried pulling me out of bed and I groaned. I stood up and smiled when I saw his Christmas nightgown, which matched my own Christmas pajamas. We went downstairs and I smiled at the presents underneath the tree. 

“Daddy, what are the boxes?” Gee asked.

“These are presents,” I said.

I handed him a box, helping him open it. Gee screamed when he saw the toy blocks inside. Jamia walked in and smiled.

“Jesus, I could hear the screaming from down the street,” she said. 

“Gee is excited,” I said. “You wanna help us open gifts?”

She smiled and nodded, sitting beside us. I looked at her reindeer pajama pants and plain t-shirt as I smiled.

“Cute pajamas,” I said.

She smiled, picking up a box.

“Are these all for him?” She asked as she handed it to him.

“Yeah, Santa got them for him,” I said.

“That’s adorable,” Jamia said.

Gee screamed practically every single time he opened a present. I went into the kitchen, going to make some pancakes. The other two came in and Gee wanted to put on the new dress I got for him. Jamia helped him change into it and I smiled as I watched them. He had on a pink and white dress with so many ruffles and bows it almost seemed absurd.

“This is a nice dress, it looks a little out of your price range, though,” he remarked.

“Yeah, my parents kinda picked it out and helped to pay for most of it,” I said.

“It looks adorable,” Jamia said, kissing his cheek.

I cooked for us before we all sat around the table.

“I want you to be very careful, Gee, I don’t want you getting the dress dirty,” I said.

Gee nodded, pouring half a bottle of syrup on his plate.

“Daddy, I’m thirsty,” Gee said.

I went up, pouring him a sippy cup of juice.

“What do you want, Mia?” I asked.

“Coffee,” she said.

I smiled, pouring both of us coffee. I put creamer and milk in hers, knowing exactly how she likes it.

“Mia, what’s on your pants?” Gee asked.

“Reindeer,” she said.

“I don’t understand,” Gee mumbled.

I smiled, eating happily.

“Frank, I’ve got most of your next tour planned,” she said. “Are you really going through with keeping the baby.”

I nodded and she reached across the table to hold my hand.

“You’re gonna be an amazing father,” she said.

I smiled, watching the way Gee walked over. He stood next to me, looking at my plate before he looked at me then back at my plate. He took the pancake off my plate and sat back down, putting it on his plate.

“You don’t take food off of people’s plates, Gee,” I said. 

“Hungwy,” he said innocently.

He finished eating and ran back to play with his toys. I sighed quietly when Jamia got up and started doing the dishes.

“Oh no, Mia,” I said. “You don’t do my dishes.”

“It’s fine,” she said.

I shook my head, taking the dishes from her hands. I washed them and Mia grabbed a towel to dry.

“I’m glad we live so close to each other now,” I said. “Now you’re right near me whenever we need each other.”

She smiled over at me and I could feel my heart flutter slightly. I frowned, looking down.

“So, d-do you have any plans for Christmas?” I asked.

“No, my parents are on vacation and my sister is with her husband and Evan is just staying at home,” she said.

“Great, you’ll get to celebrate Christmas with us then,” I said. “I didn’t really have anything planned for today, just the presents.”

“Well, I’m sure we can all have fun,” she said.

I smiled and we finished washing the dishes. She sat on the couch to watch Gee play on the floor while I went to my room. I grabbed the little gift off my nightstand and smiled as I went down and handed it to Jamia.

“Y-you got me a gift?” She asked.

“No, Santa got it for you,” Gee said.

“Yeah, this isn’t from me, this is from Santa,” I said.

Jamia pulled the lid off the the small, slim red box with the white ribbon on it.

“Oh, Frank,” she sighed.

She pulled out the necklace, a sterling silver chain with two little intertwined hearts at the end, the small heart lined with tiny little diamonds.

“Oh, it’s beautiful,” she muttered.

“You like it?” I asked.

“I love it, Frank,” she said. “It...it must’ve cost you too much.”

“No, no,” I denied. “Here, let me put it on you.”

Jamia turned her back to me and I put it on her, my fingers brushing over her neck.

“It looks good,” I said.

“Daddy! Daddy!” Gee exclaimed. “I have to go potty!”

“Then just go potty, sweetheart,” I said with a small chuckle.

Gee ran to the kitchen upstairs.

“Frank, this is beautiful,” she whispered, her eyes watering.

“Mia, Mia, what’s wrong?” I asked, caressing her cheek.

“N-nothing,” she whimpered, sniffling quietly.

“It looks beautiful on you,” I said.

“No one has ever gotten me something this thoughtful before,” she muttered.

I gently wiped away the tears off her cheeks with my thumbs.

“Oh god, now my present sucks so much more now,” she muttered.

“No, I’m sure it doesn’t, I’m sure it’s amazing,” I said.

She reached into her bag and pulled out a little flat square wrapped up in Christmas wrapping paper. I opened it and smiled when I saw the album.

“I-Is this a limited edition Walk Among Us vinyl?” I asked.

“It’s colored,” she said.

I pulled out the record and smiled when I saw it was pink.

“And look closer at the cover,” she said.

I looked at the bottom left corner and gasped.

“It’s autographed?” I asked. “Mia, this is amazing.”

“Really?” She asked.

“Yeah, maybe I’ll even, like, frame it and put it on the wall,” I said. “Oh, this is amazing, thank you so much.”

I smiled, kissing her cheek. I held her hand as I looked the cover over.

“Daddy, do you think my dress is pretty?” Gee asked as he walked down the stairs.

“You look like a beautiful princess,” I said.

Gee giggled and sat in my lap.

“Maybe I’ll make some lasagna for dinner tonight,” Jamia suggested.

“Oh, that sounds perfect,” I said.

“Play blocks,” Gee said, tugging on my hand.

I smiled and sat down with him on the ground. We played with his blocks together, they were the wooden cube ones that were colorful and had letters on them. We built a tower together, trying to make it as tall as possible. 

“Mia, you play,” Gee said.

Jamia smiled and we tried to build a castle together. Gee spent hours just running around until he went down for his nap. I tucked him into his bed before I went downstairs. Jamia was cleaning up wrapping paper and I smiled as I helped her

“So, I think that depending on how long the tour is I might get the baby stuff before we go,” I said. “I’m gonna need, like, the crib and the diapers and baby formula, those kinds of things. I’ve been reading baby books, trying to get ready for my son.”

“You know what name I like?” Jamia asked. “If I had a boy then I think I would want to name him Miles.”

“Miles,” I muttered. “I like it.”

“Y-you do?” Jamia asked.

“Yeah, I think it’s really cute,” I said. “Maybe I would have my own little Miles.”

Jamia smiled, holding my hand. 

“It’s adorable,” I said.

I sat down with her on the couch, turning on the tv.

“Mia, d-do you think I’m really helping Gee by having him live with me?” I asked quietly. “Sometimes I feel like I’m not really doing him any good.”

“Gee spent his whole life locked in an empty room,” Jamia said. “You gave him Christmas and Halloween and Thanksgiving and you gave him pancakes and clothes and toys. He loves you, Frank. If it weren’t for you he would still be the same boy that he was before, he was just scared and quiet. Remember how scared he was? He was terrified of everyone and everything. But you made it so he is happy and excited about experiencing new things in his life.”

“Thank you,” I said. “Sometimes I feel like he really would be better off in that group home.”

“Gee wouldn’t be better off in a house full of other people with nurses that aren’t able to give him their full attention,” she said. “He needs you to be able to give him this one on one time.”

I nodded and she went to the kitchen to start cooking. I helped her when Gee woke up and went back to running around playing. Soon enough it was starting to get late as we ate dinner. Gee was falling asleep at the table, slowly falling asleep while he ate. I took his plate away and Gee cried, suddenly wide awake.

I gave him his plate back and he took a few bites before he started falling asleep again, his hand constantly dipping down. I pulled the plate away and he started crying again. Finally he fell asleep while eating, his head in his lasagna. Jamia helped me clean him up and carry him upstairs. I took off his dress and she gently hung it up in the closet I changed Gee into his pajamas and tucked him into bed.

“Thanks for having me over,” Jamia said when we left the room.

“Of course, do you wanna stay the night?” I asked. “We can watch Christmas movies.

Jamia smiled and we cuddled up on the couch as we watched movies. The two of us eventually fell asleep, cuddled up together.


	27. Chapter 27

I got everything loaded into the trailer and I smiled. I held Gee’s hand, walking with him up into Matt’s garage. 

“You need help?” I asked. 

“No, I’m okay,” he said. 

“Daddy, it’s cold,” Gee whined. 

“You two can head inside while we finish things up, you’ve already gotten most of the stuff,” he said 

I smiled and went inside with Gee. We sat on the couch and Gee snuggled up in my lap. 

“I love you,” he said. 

I smiled, kissing his cheek. 

“Daddy, How longs are we gonna be gone?” He asked. 

“Just a couple of weeks,” I said. 

“Daddy, What is the funny picture you keeps showing people?” He asked. 

I pulled the ultrasound picture out of my wallet and smiled. 

“This is called an ultrasound,” I said. “It takes a picture inside a woman’s tummy. This is my baby and he’s gonna be born soon.”

“Babies don’t come from tummies, Daddy,” Gee said as he giggled. “They come from the magic stork in the sky.”

“How do you feel about me having a little baby?” I asked. “I never asked about what you thought of it and I should’ve, you’re living with me and it effects you too. What do you think about my son joining us?”

“Daddy,” he mumbled. “Do Elephants have feelings?”

I chuckled softly, kissing his cheek. A horn honked outside and we went out, getting into the van. We drove off and Gee held my hand. 

“Mia, can you make Mappy Evan play the Pretty sounds?” Gee asked. 

Jamia turned in the radio and I smiled as Gee rocked to the music. He colored happily in his coloring book as I wrapped an arm around his shoulders. 

“How far away is the venue?” I asked. 

“Only about twenty minutes,” Jamia said. 

I nodded, looking out the window. Snow covered the ground, which was funny because Gee refused to touch snow, it scares him too much. He was asleep by the time we got the venue and we quietly unloaded everything from the trailer. I picked Gee up, cradling him in my arms when I stopped short. 

Just around the corner I could see people lined up at the door, some wearing my t-shirt. My heart seemed to stop as a grin spread over my face. No one had ever been lining up at the door before. No one really knew who I was when they came to see me, they just wanted to see a show. But this was it, actual fans were here to see me. 

“Come on, Frank, we’ve gotta do sound check,” Alex said. 

I nodded and we went inside. Jamia took Gee from me, setting him into the dressing room so he could sleep. The show started and I smiled when I saw the group of college age looking girls in the front row with my shirts. When I started singing the song they sang the lyrics back and I thought my heart was going to shatter. My eyes watered and I tripped up on a chord, momentarily forgetting the lyrics. 

“Yeah it’s cool, I’ll be okay, as I felt your pain wash over me,” I sang, hearing the chorus of the crowd sing the lyrics back. 

In between songs as I was taking a brief moment to talk to the crowd when someone rugged on my sleeve. I looked back At Gee and found him crying. 

“Sweetheart, You can’t be up here right now,” I said. 

Jamia hurried up and tried to bring him off the stage but he screamed and clung onto me. I could see the venue owner getting increasingly annoyed by the small boy attached to my side. 

“Gee, you have to go with Mia,” I said and he shook his head. “I’ll give you a cookie.”

Gee refused and I saw the owner coming up. He was a big, bulky man with a bald head and more tattoos and piercings than I could count. 

“Okay, just sit by the drums,” I said. 

Gee sniffled and sat down with his stuffies, thankfully making the man go back to his spot near the back. 

“I’m sorry for that,” I said as Jamia hurried back to the merch table. 

I started playing again and the rest of the show went smoothly. The area cleared out and I saw the man walk up to me. 

“That was very unprofessional,” he stated. 

“I know, I’m sorry, he’s Just developmentally disabled sometimes he just doesn’t know what’s right or wrong,” I said, wrapping an arm around Gee’s shoulders. “Gee, can you apologize to him?”

Gee looked at him and burst into tears. The man walked off and I sighed, picking him up. He wrapped his legs around my waist and I carried him outside. I froze when I saw the group of girls waiting outside near the van. 

“Your set was awesome,” one of them said. 

“Thanks, sorry about the disruption,” I said. 

“No, it’s totally fine, you’re amazing,” another girl said. 

I smiled, setting Gee on the ground. 

“Can we get, like, autographs and pictures?” Someone asked. 

“Yeah, Of course,” I said. 

I had the biggest grin on my face as I signed things and took pictures. This was the first time I’ve ever been able to do this.

“I’ve gotta go help them but thank you for coming to the show,” I said. 

They smiled and walked off and I got Gee into the running van.

“Stay here,” I said. 

Gee nodded and I went inside to help them lug everything out to the trailer. We were in the van soon enough ended up stopping at a rest stop to sleep. 

I woke up to Gee laying on top of me and I smiled as I looked down at him. He looked so peaceful while he was sleeping. I ran my fingers through his hair before slowly moving out from under him. I saw everyone asleep except for Jamia, who seemed to be gone. 

I got out of the van and went into the rest stop. I used the bathroom before going to the cafeteria. It was mostly empty at this time of the morning but I saw Jamia quietly eating at a table in the corner while reading a book. I grabbed some food and sat across from him. 

“Hey, what time did you wake up?” I asked. 

Jamia looked up, setting her food down. 

“I don’t know, it was seven I think,” she said. 

“You want me to take over driving for a little bit?” I asked. 

“No, that’s fine,” she dismisses. 

“You don’t have to push yourself, Mia,” I said, reaching across the table to place my hand on hers. 

She smiled softly, turning her hand over to hold mine. I looked down it, smiling at the way our hands seemed to fit so perfectly together. 

“Daddy!” Someone screamed. 

I flinched, pulling away as I looked at Gee. He looked scared and angry, tears streaming down his cheeks while my other band mates stood behind him looking very tired, like Gee had woken all of them up. 

Gee stormed up, sitting down on my lap with his arms folded angrily. He ate my food and refused to let me look at him. Every time he caught me looking at him he would start screaming again. 

“What’s wrong?” I asked. 

“I woke up and you weren’t there,” he pouted. 

I held his hand and he huffed, pulling it away. 

“Will you be happy if I buy you more food?” I asked. 

Gee nodded and I went up, getting more food for both of us. He ended up eating both the food I got for him and the food I got for myself. After he finished that he started sneaking food off Evan’s plate too. 

“Gee,” I said, raising my eyebrows at him. 

He sniffled quietly and I held his hand. 

“It’s okay, Baby Boy, But you have to ask first,” I said. 

Gee laid his head on my shoulder. 

“I gotta go potty,” he said. 

I took his hand, taking him out to the bathroom. 

“Daddy, how long are we gonna be going in the van?” Gee asked as he washed his hands. 

“For just a little bit longer,” I said. “But not too long, we need to make sure we’re home before the baby is born and we need to get all the baby stuff.”

I brought Gee back to the table and sighed quietly. They all talked excitedly as Gee sat down in my lap. 

“Frank, Do you wanna do a cover tonight?” Alex said. 

“Yeah, that sounds fine,” I said. “What song?”

“We weren’t sure yet,” he said. “We just kind of thought of the idea.”

“Daddy, can you play the pretty bird song?” Gee asked. 

“Blackbird?” I asked. 

Gee nodded excitedly and I shrugged. 

“We should get going soon,” Jamia said. 

The other guys headed to the library and I smiled as I stood up. 

“We should take a little walk before we have to be crowded in the car for a few hours,” I said. 

We walked around the large building, Gee between me and Jamia as he held both of our hands. 

“Daddy, where we going next?” He asked. 

“We are going down to Georgia,” I said. 

“Daddy, what’s a Georgia?” Gee asked. 

We chuckled and Gee swung both our arms. 

“Daddy, I wasn’t making a funny,” Gee stated sternly. “What’s a Georgia?”

“Georgia is a state, Sweetheart,” Jamia said. 

“What’s a state?” He asked. 

“It’s a place,” I said. 

Gee nodded and I smiled, giving his hand a soft squeeze. 

“Daddy, Sqully And Seb Seb want a new friend,” Gee said. 

“They can get a new friend later,” I said. “I don’t have the money for a new friend right now.”

“But they want one now,” he insisted. 

“We can’t, Gee, now that the baby is coming I need to start saving money more,” I said. 

Gee looked at me before he started crying loudly. He sat on the floor and I sighed as I picked him up. I carried him out to the van, holding him in my arms until he fell asleep.


	28. Chapter 28

“Frank, Frank,” Jamia said. “Someone is here from a music magazine and they wanna interview you.”

“Really?” I asked. “M-my first interview? I don’t know if I’m ready.”

“It’s gonna be perfect,” she said.

She brought me over and I smiled when I saw Evan and Gee on the stage while Evan tried to teach the small boy how to play patty cake. We went outside the venue and I took in a sharp breath from the sudden cold. I pulled my hat from my pocket and pulled it on when we walked up to a guy with a notepad.

“Hey, I’m Frank,” I said.

“Ryan,” he said, shaking my hand. “I’m from Rock Sound Magazine and I’m writing a little article on new up and coming bands who we believe really have potential.”

“I’ll leave you two alone,” Jamia said before walking off.

“She’s sweet, she offered me a lollipop,” Ryan said with a small chuckle.

“Sounds like her,” I said.

“Anyways, I’m going to be recording this and taking notes, just to clarify,” he said, starting the recorder on his phone. “Alright, so when did your band first form?”

“First form? It was probably back in August, so about five months now,” I said.

“Oh, five months? That’s pretty good to already be on your second solo tour, signed to a major record label and you have a CD done that’s making some pretty good sales already,” he said. “What would you contribute your success too?”

“I don’t know, I think that hard work and luck,” I said. “We’re practicing as often as we could, planning shows and tours whenever we can. And I think the support of my family helps a lot. I wasn’t making a lot of money--I’m still not--so my parents supported me both spiritually and financially a lot. They really helped me get where I am, doing everything I have always dreamed of. I always knew I wanted to be a musician, it’s my dream and now I’m finally able to do it.”

“What about your bandmates? What’s it like with them and being on the road with them?” He asked.

“Oh, they’re all so great,” I said. “They’re my brothers and they mean everything to me, really. And being on the road with them for weeks at a time in a cramped van can drive us up the walls a bit and we can be irritable but most of the time we’re just like brothers.”

“And Jamia, your manager, is she your girlfriend?” He asked.

“N-no,” I denied. “Wh-why would you think that?”

“Just because of the way she talked about you, sorry for assuming,” he said. “Going back to the music, are you planning on starting a new tour soon after this? Or are you going to take a break to work on more music?”

“I think I’m going to have a little break from music,” I said.

“Oh? At such a crucial moment in the rise of your band is that the smartest decision?” He asked.

“Maybe not but my child is going to be born and my son is more important than music,” I said.

“You have a child on the way?” He asked and I smiled and nodded proudly. “You’re married?”

“No, I-I…” I trailed off, not know quite what to say. “The baby is between me and a really sweet girl but I’m not with her and I’m raising the baby alone so I’m gonna take some time away from music, maybe I’ll just do local shows on weekends every now and then.”

“I think that’s really sweet,” Ryan said. “And you have another kid, right? The one who went up onstage with you while you were performing, the one who was eight or nine.”

“No, he isn’t my son,” I said. “He’s...a long story. And he’s actually twenty, he’s just really small.”

“Oh, sorry again, I guess I’m just being really presumptuous today,” he said with a small chuckle.

“It’s okay, I get it a lot,” I said.

“Alright, Frank, I should probably let you go, your show is starting soon,” Ryan said.

“Are you staying to watch?” I asked and he nodded. “Well, I hope you have a good time then, thank you for interviewing me.”

I shook hands with him before I went inside. Gee ran over, wrapping his arms around me.

“Where was you?” He asked.

“I was just talking to someone,” I said. 

I went to the bar, grabbing a beer.

“Can I taste, Daddy?” Gee asked.

“No, you’re too little for this, where’s your sippy?” I asked.

Gee ran to his bag by the merch table and pulled out his sippy cup. He ran around the empty venue, laughing happily until it was time for people to start filling the area and he retreated back to the merch table, cuddling against Jamia nervously. 

As the show started I happened to notice a girl who was familiar now. She had been at my first show, she was one of the people who asked for my autograph. She’s been to all my shows since then and she knew all the lyrics to all my songs.

The show went by pretty fast with me just jumping around as I sang. I remember when I was younger and I used to be more enthusiastic and energetic. I used to jump around on top of things and roll around on the ground. I helped pack everything up and we drove the short distance to the motel.

“You sleepy, princess?” I asked and Gee nodded.

I held his hand and we went up to the room. I opened the door, letting out a shriek of fright when I saw the girl from the concert laying on the bed naked. I covered Gee’s eyes, pulling him out.

“What is it?” Evan asked.

“Y-you know that one groupie that’s been going to our shows?” I asked and he nodded. “She’s in there and she’s naked.”

“Daddy, why do her princess parts look funny?” Gee asked.

“D-does he not...not know what’s different between the legs of the male and female sex?” Evan asked.

“I don’t think he’s ever seen a naked chick,” I said.

“Daddy, why are her princess parts missing?” Gee asked. “She doesn’t have princess parts like me and like your big boy parts.”

“What’s going on?” Jamia asked.

“There’s a naked groupie in my room,” I whispered.

I knocked on the door gently.

“Hey, uh, y-you need to get dressed and leave,” I said awkwardly.

Matt and Alex joined us and Gee began to get pouty.

“I know you’re tired and cold, sweetheart,” I said.

“I can go put him to sleep in my room,” Evan offered. “You wanna room with me tonight, Buddy?”

“Sleepover?” Gee asked and he nodded. “Sleepover!”

I handed Evan his bag and he took Gee’s hand, taking him back to his room.

“Look, I’m gonna call the police if you don’t leave,” I said. “It’s late and we’re tired.”

“We’re gonna head to bed,” Alex said.

I nodded and watched Evan and Matt walk off. I leaned against the wall, running my hand down my face.

“Do you want me to go in there?” Jamia asked.

“You think you can get her out?” I asked.

Jamia shrugged and walked in.

“Hey!” I heard the girl exclaim and I could hear rustling as she tried to cover herself up.

“Get your fucking ass out of Frank’s room before a call the fucking cops,” Jamia said and I raised my eyebrows. 

There was scrambling before the girl ran out half dressed.

“Alright then,” I muttered.

I walked in shutting the door as I sighed.

“Guess we’re rooming together then,” I said.

She smiled softly, sitting on the bed with me. “You want some tea?”

I nodded and she got us both tea before we were sat on one bed together with the lights off as we watched a movie on tv. 

“Mia, d-do you think that in twenty years when we’re middle aged that Gee is still gonna be like how he is now?” I asked.

“I don’t know, I’m really not sure how any of that psychology stuff works in his brain,” Jamia said. “He’s so cute and stuff but it’s sad just watching the way that he’ll never grow, he won’t be able to learn new things easily, he’s made fun of. It’s sad watching him sometimes, no matter how cute he is.”

“Mia, thank you for always being here,” I said. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“I’ll always be here for you,” she said. “Anyways, how did your interview go?”

“It was good,” I said. “I kind of told him about Miles too.”

“You did?” Jamia asked.

“Yeah,” I said. “I don’t know if it was a good idea or not but I couldn’t really explain why I would be taking a break for music so I just decided that it was better to tell the truth because they would probably find out anyways.”

“I think that’s pretty good,” Jamia said. “Are you excited?”

“Yeah, I am,” I said. “It’s fucking terrifying but this is my son and I love him so much. I want to watch him grow, I want to raise him, I want to see his smile and pretty eyes.”

“He’s gonna be lucky to have you,” she said.

“You think?” I asked.

“Of course,” she said. “You’re seriously an amazing man and Miles is going to have the best dad in the whole world.”

I smiled, kissing her cheek. I pulled the blanket up and smiled. I watched the screen for a while, chuckling softly at the funny parts.

“Mia?” I asked.

I looked down and smiled softly when I found her asleep. She laid on her side her head resting on my shoulder with her hand laying gently on my chest. I tried to move out from under her to move to the other bed but she let out a sleepy whine, pulling me close. I smiled, cuddled up with her in my arms as I fell asleep, a part of me loving the way her body felt against mine.


	29. Chapter 29

Jamia helped me with the tape measurer as Gee stood straight against the wall. I bit my lip as I measured him. 

“Looks like you’re about four feet tall,” I said. 

“I’m not four feet, Daddy, I only gots two feet,” Gee said, sticking out his foot to show me. 

“You’re so cute,” Jamia said, kissing his cheek. 

“Last night of tour, are you excited, Gee?” I asked and he nodded. 

We had been planning on going to Disney World in Florida but with the baby coming I didn’t want to spend that much money so we decided to just leave that trip in the future when Miles is a little bit bigger and he can go and have fun there too. 

“I wanna snuggle in my princess bed,” Gee said. “I don’ts like sleeping in the van.”

I smiled, holding his hand. 

“Come on, you wanna go outside and walk around for a bit?” I asked. 

“Can I get treats?” He asked. 

“Yeah, Baby, you can get a treat,” I said with a small chuckle. 

We went outside and Jamia held Gee’s other hand, which was bundled up tight in the warm hug of his pink mitten. Gee tripped and ended up falling face first into a pile of snow. 

“Fuck,” I muttered. 

Gee screamed as I pulled him up. 

“You don’t have to be scared, it’s just snow,” I said. 

“It’s on me! It’s on me!” Gee shrieked, looking at the pile of snow on his arm. “It’s gonna hurt me! It’s bad!”

We helped clean him off before we walked into a little store. 

“You can go pick out a stuffie for being such a good boy on tour for me,” I said. 

Gee hurried off and I quickly followed. I frowned in confusion when Jamia didn’t follow and we were split up in the store. I let Gee pick up a giraffe and I paid for it. 

“Hey, where’d you go?” I asked when Jamia walked out of the store while we waited outside. 

“I got you a gift,” she said. 

She held out the bag and I frowned. I reached inside, pulling out a white, short-sleeved baby bodysuit. On it in black letters it said ‘Daddy’s Biggest Fan’ with music notes surrounding it.

“Mia, this is amazing, thank you so much,” I said, kissing her cheek. 

“Daddy, I think you’re too big for that,” Gee said. 

“It’s not for me,” I said with a small chuckle. “It’s for Miles.”

“Who?” Gee asked. 

“Miles, my son,” I said. “The one who is gonna be joining us soon.”

“Daddy, What does it say?” He asked. 

“It says that Miles is my biggest fan,” I said. 

“No he isn’t!” Gee cried. “I am! Not him!”

“You don’t even like my music,” I said. 

“I’m your biggest fan!” Gee shrieked. 

“You don’t have to be jealous, Sweetheart, I love both of you exactly the same,” I said, kissing his cheek. 

Gee sniffled quietly and held my hand. 

“But you love me more?” Gee asked. 

“I love you the same,” I said. 

Gee pouted. “Mia, do you love me more?”

“Well, Miles isn’t my son so of course I do, Sweetheart,” she said, pinching Gee’s cheek. 

He squealed happily and hugged her tight. 

“I love you more than Daddy,” Gee said. 

I knew he was just being pouty but I still felt my heart pang with hurt. 

“That isn’t very nice, Gee,” Jamia said. 

“Mia, let’s go play,” Gee said. 

He dragged her off to the venue and I sighed as I found Alex in the dressing room. 

“What’s that?” He asked, looking at my bag. “Why were you in a baby shop? Was it just for Gee?”

“No, Mia got me a little gift,” I said, pulling out the little outfit to show him. 

“That’s so cute,” he said. “What has been going on between you two recently?”

“What do you mean?” I asked. 

“Something has changed between you two, Frank, we can all tell,” Alex said. “We all knew she liked you. Well, everyone but you knew. But this isn’t her this time, it’s you. A-Are you starting to have feelings for her?”

“No,” I denied quickly. “Wh-why would you--why would I--what?”

I laughed nervously and he raised his eyebrows.

“Frank, do you have feelings for her?” He asked.

“I don’t know, I’ve never really felt this way before,” I said quietly. “It’s just...I love her smile and I love the way I feel when I’m with her, she always brightens my day. A-and recently my heart just beats really fast when I’m around her and I like the way her hand feels when holding mine and I loved it when we fell asleep in each other’s arms.”

“Frank, I think you like her,” Alex said.

“I broke her heart already,” I said. “I don’t wanna hurt her again.”

“You wouldn’t break her heart,” Alex said.

“She’s probably over me by now anyways,” I said.

“She isn’t,” he said. “That night you hooked up with Alicia she cried for hours. She’s in love with you.”

“What if I’m not in love with her and then we start something together only for me to realize that it’s only infatuation and then I break her heart again?” I asked.

“You don’t have to go and date her now or anything, just try to figure out your feelings,” he said.

“I’ve never felt this way about someone before and I’m not quite sure what it is,” I Said. “I’ve never been in a serious relationship, the longest relationship I’ve ever had was just a one month. Usually it’s just one night stands and quick hook ups.”

“When I first met you I thought you two were dating,” he said. “And when I found out you weren’t I thought you two were going to date. You two just seem so perfect together.”

“I never even thought about us dating before until I started looking at her differently as of recently,” I said. “She’s just so sweet and pretty everything she does is just perfect.”

“That’s so sweet, Frank,” Alex said.

“I wanna get shit-faced,” I said.

I left the room to go find some alcohol from the bar. Soon enough I was drunk but thankfully not too wasted so I could still perform in an hour.

“God, I can’t believe you go drunk,” Evan said.

I giggled, pressing my lips against his when he pushed me away.

“Why are you always kissing on people when you’re wasted?” He asked. “Stop kissing strangers just because you’re drunk.”

“You don’t wanna kiss me?” I Asked.

“No, Frank,” Evan denied.

He gave me a bottle of water and I pouted quietly.

“You need to sober up a bit before you go onstage or else you’re gonna start kissing the people in front row,” he said.

I sat on the stage, my feet dangling off the side while I laid down and stared at the ceiling. Jamia laid next to me and smiled over at me.

“Does Gee still hate me?” I Asked.

“He doesn’t hate you,” she denied. “He’s just a little jealous is all.”

“You sure?” I asked nervously. “He seemed like he hated me.”

“No, he’s just scared that you’re not gonna love him anymore when the baby is born,” she said. “Or that you’re not going to love him as much because you have someone to replace him with.”

“I should go talk to him,” I said.

I started to sit up but got woozy and laid back down.

“Maybe later,” I mumbled.

Jamia chuckled, holding my hand. I lifted her hand up to look you it.

“You...you got little hands,” I muttered. “Gee’s hand’s are littler. Is littler a word? Littler, littler, littler, littler, littler--”

“Frank,” Evan interrupted. “Time to head back to the dressing room.”

He pulled me up and back to the dressing room as I sighed. I laid on the couch, getting an hour of sleep before I had to go back out and perform. Thankfully the performance seemed to go okay, I was so good at performing I could do it in my sleep. The only hard parts was in between songs when I would just stumble around the stage and trip over my words.

“Come on, boozie, let’s get you home,” Evan said.

He picked me up and I giggled, throwing my arms up. He carried me to the van and set me in. They helped get everything before Gee snuggled up to my side. I yawned, falling asleep as we drove home.

I was the last to be dropped off by Jamia. She helped me inside as I giggled and she helped me upstairs. She put Gee to bed and I yawned as I laid down.

“Why’d you get so shit-faced right before a concert?” Jamia asked as she sat next to me. “That really wasn’t the brightest idea.”

“It’s just...it’s so confusing,” I mumbled.

“What’s so confusing?” She asked with a small chuckle. “Your sexuality? I saw you trying to kiss Evan.”

“You’re confusing,” I mumbled. “You’re just...you’re here and you’re Mia and you’re my best friend and you’re not Mia and not my best friend anymore and I don’t really know what that means.”

“I don’t know what that entire sentence meant,” she said with a small chuckle.

“Can...can you cuddle with me?” I asked. “The bed is so cold and lonely.”

She hesitated for a moment before laying under the blankets with me. I wrapped my arms around her, smiling as I buried my face into the crook of his neck.

“Your hair smells good,” I mumbled.

“You’re so drunk,” she said with a chuckle.

We were both almost asleep curled up in each other’s arms when the door creaked open slowly. Gee crawled in between us, pulling us apart to lay in between us. We both chuckled, wrapping our arms around him as we showered him in kisses, all of us slowly falling asleep together.


	30. Chapter 30

I smiled as I looked at the finished nursery. The walls were painted baby blue and there was a white wood baby furniture around. Thankfully my parents kept almost all of my baby stuff so I didn’t have to pay for new, expensive baby stuff. There was a white crib against the wall and a white dresser on top of that, a little white rocking chair in the corner. 

“Mine,” Gee said, looking at the crib.

“No, that’s for Miles,” I said.

“No, mine,” he repeated.

Gee climbed into the crib and I sighed. He curled up, smiling as he closed his eyes. I sighed as I went downstairs and found Jamia.

“Gee has now declared the crib to be his,” I said. “Maybe this was a bad idea, having Gee and Miles in the same house is gonna be too difficult.”

“Do you love Gee?” She asked and I nodded. “Do you love Miles?”

“Of course I do” I said.

“Then if you love them both I know it will work out,” Jamia said.

I nodded, sitting on the couch.

“Okay so I two surprises for you,” she said. 

“All these gifts? I’m getting drowned in baby stuff,” I said.

She smiled, reaching into her purse. She handed me a little caramel colored teddy bear and I gasped.

“For Miles,” she said.

“You’re giving him Mr. Snuggles?” I asked. “You love Mr. Snuggles, you were going to give him to your firstborn.”

“Yeah but I think I want Miles to have it,” she said. “It may not be for my firstborn child but for my first nephew.”

“Thank you, Mia, I know Miles is going to love it,” I said.

“You excited?” She asked. “The baby is gonna be born soon.”

“Yeah, there’s only a couple weeks left,” I said. “Anyways, what was the other surprise?”

She held up a copy of Rock Sound magazine. I gasped softly as I took it.

“Is this the one I’m mentioned in?” I asked.

“Page twenty-four,” she said.

I flipped to the page and saw a one-page article entitled ‘Hot Bands Making Their Way in the East Coast’. I skipped through until I found the third paragraph, which was about my band.

_I had the honor of meeting Frank Iero, lead singer and guitarist of his band Frnkiero andthe Cellabration, before one of his concerts while he was on tour. I had originally thought he was arrogant, maybe just because of the confident way he seemed to carry himself. After talking to him for only a brief period time I have retracted all my original opinions on him. Frank Iero is passionate and he works hard while still being very down to Earth. He has worked hard his whole life to get where he is now and he deserves it and so much more. Not only is he hard working, creative and an amazing performer but he is also one of the most genuinely caring people I have ever met. He is putting his music career on hold to raise the baby of a partner he had. He is choosing to put everything on hold just to become a single dad so his son won’t be orphaned. After doing a little research I also found out more information on the adorable little boy always clinging to his arm. The adorable boy is often called Gee and is a developmentally disabled kidnap victim that Frank had taken in. Frank helps to care the boy, feeding, bathing and clothing him while making sure he is happy and healthy without any sort of benefit to himself. Frank Iero is one of the most honest, caring, selfless people I have ever had the honor to meet. My only hopes that are I get to talk to him again and I get to see his phenomenal band when they go on tour again after their break._

“Oh my god, I-I got a good review in a really popular fucking magazine,” I said. 

“This can be amazing for you!” She exclaimed.

“Well, I’m sure they gave good reviews for all of them,” I said.

She shook her hand and I read over the four other bands mentioned in the article. One of them was good, the other was good but sort of lukewarm, the other two were not good at all. One of them was said to be cocky, arrogant and pompous. The other band was said to be a group of Ramones wannabees just without talent.

“I-I need to buy more of these,” I said. “Where’d you get them from?”

“That copy is yours,” she said. “I also bought one for your mom, your dad, your grandma and both your uncles.”

She handed me a stack of magazines and I smiled.

“I pretty much bought every single one that was there,” she admitted. “I also got some for the rest of the band.”

“Here, let me pay you back,” I said, grabbing my wallet.

“No, Frank, you don’t have to,” she said.

“I should, how much?” I asked.

“Frank, it’s okay, I’m not gonna take your money,” she said.

“You shouldn’t have to pay for all of this,” I said.

“I’m your manager, this is just me supporting you guys,” she said. “I wouldn’t even have the job I have now if it wasn’t for you guys, if you weren’t talented then I wouldn’t be making any money at all. You deserve this, really, you’ve worked so hard.”

I reached over, holding her hand. I looked down at our intertwined fingers with a soft smile on my face as I gently rubbed my thumb over the back of her hand.

“Wh-what are you doing?” She whispered.

“What?” I asked.

She pulled her hand away and suddenly I felt so cold, like something was just missing.

“I-I think I should get going, I still have a lot of other magazines to deliver,” she said.

“Mia, I think I need to talk to you about something,” I said. “I don’t know what it is but recently--”

I was cut of by Gee’s crying over the baby monitor.

“Well, now we know this works,” I muttered.

“Daddy! My foot is stuck!” He cried.

“He needs you and I really do think I should be going,” Jamia said.

I nodded my head sadly, kissing her cheek before I went upstairs. Gee’s foot was stuck in the bars of the crib and I chuckled softly as I helped him move his foot out. I picked him up, carrying him downstairs. He gasped when he saw the teddy bear on the coffee table.

“New stuffie!” He exclaimed.

“No, sweetheart, that’s for Miles,” I said.

“No, mine,” he stated.

“Gee, Miles is going to be living here with us and he’s going to need a lot of attention,” I said. “And he’s gonna have toys and furniture that isn’t yours and you can’t get jealous.”

“How long is he gonna be living here?” He asked.

“A long time, at least eighteen years,” I said.

“Eighteen isn’t a word, Daddy,” Gee said.

“He is going to stay here with us for a very, very long time,” I said. “And I think that you’re gonna like him, you’re gonna have someone to play with when he gets big enough to play.”

“No, I won’t like him,” Gee denied, crossing his arms.

“You will,” I said. “He is going to be a little sweetheart.”

“No, I’m a little sweetheart,” Gee said.

“Baby Boy, don’t worry,” I said. “You will always be my little sweetheart.”

Gee nodded, hugging Mr. Snuggles.

“You can play with that now but once Miles is born you’re gonna have to give him back,” I said.

The doorbell rang and I opened it to find Alicia. I smiled softly when I saw her very round stomach.

“You’re fat,” Gee said.

“Oh, sweetheart,” I muttered. “That’s not very nice, she’s just pregnant. Miles is in there.”

“No, Miles comes from the magic stork,” he said.

Alicia sat on the couch and Gee let out a whine because he didn’t want her touching any of the furniture.

“Do you need anything?” I asked. “I’ve got some tea.”

“Can I get some crackers or something?” She asked.

I nodded, going to grab some crackers for her.

“No! My crackers!” Gee shrieked.

He tried eating all the crackers so she couldn’t have any but that only resulted in his mouth being so full he couldn’t chew. He coughed, cracker dust flying out of his mouth as he spit the mess on the ground.

“Gee, don’t do that,” I said.

I cleaned up the mess and sat beside Alicia, Gee coming to sit in my lap.

“Is something wrong?” I asked nervously.

“No, I was just coming to talk to you about when I’m in labor,” she said. “You’re gonna be there for the birth, right?”

“Of course I am,” I said. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Call me when you go into labor and I promise i’ll be at the hospital before they can even get you changed into a gown.”

She smiled softly, holding my hand. Gee let out a cry and hit her hand away.

“Thank you for being here, I would be so scared if you weren’t,” she said. “And you know, for a little bit I actually thought that maybe we could actually be a real couple.”

“If you date me then you would also take in my son as your son and you already made it clear you don’t want to be part of his life,” I said.

“I know, you’re just so great and I thought that we would be able to have something,” she admitted.

“No, Alicia, we were a hook up and that’s all,” I said. “And there isn’t anything between us, I-I can’t date anyone who doesn’t want kids because I do and I’m about to have one.”

“Well, do you know anyone who could possibly fill that role?” She asked.

“I don’t know, maybe,” I mumbled. “It’s all just kind of complicated and so busy right now with Miles and stuff. If I don’t date anyone then that would be fine, I just wanna focus on him.”

“Who is Miles?” She asked.

“The baby,” I said. “I-I’m naming him Miles.”

“That’s cute,” she said.

I nodded my head, gently reaching over to place a hand on her stomach.

“He started kicking while you were on tour,” Alicia said.

I felt a small kick and I gasped.

“Miles,” I whispered. “Do you wanna feel, Gee?”

“No, I’m not touching her,” Gee said.

I took his hand and placed it on her stomach. I knew Miles kicked his hand when he let out a shriek and jumped up.

“Wh-what is that?” He cried. “Daddy! It’s scary!”

“Nothing, Sweetheart, that’s just Miles,” he said. “Kicking is his own little way of saying hello, it means he likes you.”

“H-he does?” He asked nervously and I smiled and nodded. “Miles is really in there?”

“Yeah, in just a few more weeks he’s gonna be here,” I said.

“How?” Gee asked.

“It’s a long story,” I said. “What do you think now? Are you more okay with Miles coming here if he likes you?”

Gee nodded with a small shrug, snuggling up in my arms.


	31. Chapter 31

“Mia, d-do you think that we can talk?” I asked.

“Yeah, I’ll be over there in a minute,” she said.

Jamia came over and I smiled as we sat on the couch.

“Okay, so I just wanted to talk to you about this before Miles is born before it gets more complicated and busy,” I said.

“What is it?” she asked.

I opened my mouth to speak when my phone rang. I saw Alicia’s name and answered it.

“Frank, I-I’m in labor and I’m heading down to the hospital,” she said.

“Oh ok, I-I’ll be there as soon as I can,” I said as I hung up.

“What is it?” Jamia asked.

“Alicia is in labor,” I said.

“Oh my god, you should go,” she said. “I can watch Gee for you.”

“Thank you,” I said, feeling slightly sick. “Oh god, I-I’m gonna be a dad.”

“And you’re gonna be an amazing dad,” she said. “Call me if you need anything while you’re there.”

“Okay, it’ll probably be a little while, labor will take probably at last five hours and could be a lot longer,” I said.

“It’s okay, I’ll stay here with Gee,” she said. “You should probably get going. You have the carseat and baby bag?”

“Yeah, it’s already in the car,” I said. “Thank you, Mia, I love you.”

I kissed her cheek before running outside. I sped off to the hospital where I found Alicia’s room.

“You okay?” I asked.

“Yeah, just in pain,” she said.

“Is there anything that I can do?” I asked.

“No, I just wanna get this thing out of me already,” she said.

“He’s not a thing, he’s my son,” I said. 

Alicia cried out in pain before relaxing.

“Do you think you could get me some ice chips?” She asked.

“Yeah, of course,” I said.

I went to go get her a cup of ice chips before sitting by her side.

“You really don’t want any part of his life?” I asked. “You don’t even have to talk to him at all, I can just send you pictures of him every now and then.”

“No, Frank, I don’t want kids and I never have,” she said. “I’m sorry and I know it sounds really insensitive but I just don’t want to be part of his life. I don’t want to be a parent, I don’t to have kids.”

I nodded a little sadly.

“You want me to be there for him?” She asked.

“Well, I just don’t want him to have to live in a single-parent household,” I said. “I don’t want him to just be the one kid in class without a mom.”

“Well, he’ll probably have a stepmom,” Alicia said. “You’re bound to find someone and fall in love and get married.”

My mind immediately went to Jamia and I thought about the two of us getting married, settling down together and having more kids with each other.

“You already know who that’s going to be, don’t you?” Alicia guessed. 

“Not who I know but who I hope,” I guess. “It wasn’t until now that I really realized just how deep my feelings were.”

“Have you asked her out?” She asked.

“No, everytime I try to talk to her about it we always end up getting interrupted,” I said. “I’m scared to talk to her, honestly.”

Alicia gasped in pain from a contraction before sighing.

“Alright, I think you should talk to her because she might feel the same way,” she said.

“I know that she does,” I said. “But things are just a little bit tricky between us and I just don’t want to risk ruining what we already have.”

“Sometimes things like this are worth the risk,” Alicia said. “You should go for it.”

“You really think?” I asked and she nodded. “M-maybe when I get home from the hospital. But it’s just going to be really busy with us with Miles here. I want to right for the right moment to talk to her about it, not just quickly saying it in a five minute gap of time when Miles or Gee isn’t crying.”

“Take her out, Frank,” she said. “Take her out on a date and treat her like a princess then kiss her.”

“How can I take her out?” I asked. “I’ll have Miles and Gee. I feel bad that after everyone told me not to I’m keeping him anyways and then someone else is just going to have to watch him. I’m the one who wanted to keep him, someone else shouldn’t be responsible for watching him while I just go out on dates.”

“I’m sure they would be happy to watch him,” Alicia said. “It’s not that they didn’t want any part of the baby’s life, they were just thinking about you and how you would feel spending the rest of your life taking care of him, it doesn’t mean that they don’t want any part of taking care of the baby, they were only looking at your best interests.”

I nodded softly. “Thank you, Alicia. I think I am gonna do that. I might wait a little bit because I’ll be taking care of Miles but I’m gonna do that. I think I’ll take her out to the movies.”

Alicia smiled before crying out again in pain. We spent the next few hours just talking before we were taken to the delivery room. Alicia was crying in pain as the contractions only got worse. I felt my heart skip beats, racing a mile a minute.

“Oh fuck,” she cried.

I held her hand as she sobbed. It was almost two hours that we were here, with screaming and crying and me trying to encourage Alicia while she just yelled at me to fuck off. Nurses moved around us as I stood at the head of the bed with Alicia.

“It’s a boy,” the doctor said.

I gasped softly when I heard the little cries from my son. They cleaned him up and soon I was holding him in a little blanket bundle in my arms. He was so little as he cooed. My eyes watered as I watched him.

“Do you wanna see him?” I asked Alicia.

She shook her head, looking away. The next few hours was spent with Miles going off to be tested. I sat with one of the nurses so she could create the birth certificate.

“What’s his name?” She asked.

“Miles Anthony Iero,” I said. “Spelled I-E-R-O.”

She nodded, writing it down.

“And your full name?” She asked.

“Frank Anthony Iero Jr.,” I said.

“Would you like the mother’s name on the birth certificate?” She asked.

I bit my lip. “No, she doesn’t want to be part of his life, I don’t want her on the birth certificate.”

“Having her on the birth certificate doesn’t benefit her but it could benefit you and Miles,” she said. “If she were to die while he was still a minor then he could receive Social Security death benefits. And if she were to change her mind and want to have scheduled visitations then they wouldn’t have to go through testing to prove paternity. And if you ever need federal assistance for money then they may need both parents’ names.”

“Yeah, okay, I’ll have her added to the birth certificate,” I said.

“What’s her full name?” She asked.

I bit my lip. “I don’t know. We were really just a one night stand.”

“So I’m assuming you don’t have her social security number,” she said. “What’s yours?”

I gave her all my information before we were done.

“Here is the birth certificate order form,” she said. “Make sure you read it thoroughly.”

I nodded my head, taking the stack of papers.

“How long until I can take Miles home?” I asked. “It’s already nearly midnight, I’ve been here for for over twelve hours.”

“Well, it’s too late to leave now,” the nurse said. “We’ll keep Miles in the nursery for the night and you’ll have to stay in the lobby to sleep but in the morning you’ll be able to take him home.”

“Thank you,” I said. 

I went down to the nursery and bit my lip as I looked at the room full of babies. I looked around before I saw Miles. I didn’t sleep that night, I just stood at the window to watch him and make sure he was okay. Gee called me before he went to bed, crying because he missed me. 

The next morning the nurse gave me Miles and I smiled as I looked down at him, straightening out his little hat. I signed us out before I went to Alicia’s room. She laid in the bed, still looking pretty tired.

“Hey, are you feeling okay?” I asked.

“Yeah, a lot better,” she said.

“Alright, well, I just wanted to say thank you for letting me choose what happens to him and for letting me keep him,” I said. “And if you ever want then I’m sure we could have scheduled visits with Miles.”

“I don’t think I’ll choose that option,” she said quietly.

“Well, I was just giving you the option,” I said. “I guess this is the last time I’ll see you.”

She nodded and I kissed her cheek. I got Miles into his car seat as he slept peacefully. When I got home I opened the door, finding Mia standing on a rolling office chair trying to hang a banner.

“Woah, Mia, be careful,” I said.

I set the car seat down and she jumped in fright, losing her balance. I held her hips, keeping her steady. I helped her down and smiled.

“You weren’t supposed to be here until later,” she complained. “We were gonna throw a little surprise party, your mom was even going to bring a cake shaped like a baby bottle.”

I smiled, kissing her cheek.

“You wanna meet Miles?” I asked.

Jamia nodded excitedly and I took him out of his seat. I carefully handed him to her and she smiled down at him as he gurgled quietly.

“He’s beautiful, Frank,” she whispered. “He has your eyes.”

“You think?” I asked.

“Definitely,” she said. “He’s gorgeous.”

“Where’s Gee?” I asked.

“He’s still sleeping, he didn’t go to sleep until late because he was crying about you,” she said.

I went upstairs and changed into some clean clothes. I noticed the bed was unmade and I figured Jamia slept there last night. I went to Gee’s room, gently waking him up.

“Daddy, you’re home,” he whispered.

“Come on, you wanna go meet Miles?” I asked.

He nodded and I held his hand, bringing him downstairs. 

“Hey, Gee, this is Miles,” Jamia said.

Gee looked at Miles.

“He’s wittle,” Gee said.

“Yeah, he is,” I said. “And that means you have to be very careful with him, okay?”

Gee nodded, smiling down at Miles.

“I love him, he’s like my little doll,” Gee said.

“Well, I’m glad you like him,” I said.

I held out my arms and Mia smiled.

“I never wanna let him go,” she said. “He’s so tiny and precious, I want my own little baby.”

I wanted to ask her to be the godmother but thought I shouldn’t just in case something actually happened between us. I would rather her be the mother than the godmother. But I was going to try to make this work between us, I think I was falling in love with her.


	32. Chapter 32

Miles didn’t stop screaming all night long. It didn’t matter if I fed him or changed him, he just screamed. It kept Gee awake too and while I was trying to comfort Miles Gee would lay at my feet throwing his own fit. As soon as Jamia came over the next morning I fell into her arms as I sobbed. 

“Frank, you haven’t slept for two nights now,” she said.

“M-maybe this was a mistake,” I sobbed. “I-I should’ve put him up for adoption.”

“Frank, you should get some sleep, I’ll take care of Gee and Miles,” she said.

“No, th-they’re my responsibility, I should take care of them,” I said.

“Frank, it’s okay to get help,” she said softly. “Come on, let’s go get you to bed, you’re a mess.”

She took my head and I sniffled quietly as we went upstairs. I could still hear both the kids crying as I curled up in bed. She took the baby monitor off my nightstand and tucked me into bed.

“A-are you sure you?” I asked. “I’m okay, I can watch them.”

“No, Frank, you just need to sleep,” she said.

She kissed my forehead gently and turned on some music, drowning out the sound of screaming. She left the room and I curled up in the soft bed as I fell asleep.

When I woke up it was already night, the stars shining bright outside. I stood up and yawned, feeling almost like a different person. I went downstairs and smiled when I saw Jamia in the kitchen, cradling Miles in one arm while cooking with the other while Gee colored at the table.

“You look so much better,” Jamia remarked.

“I feel so much better, thank you,” I said.

“You can go grab a shower if you want, I’m just finishing up dinner here,” she said.

I nodded, going upstairs and grabbing a quick shower. I got changed into some sweatpants and a Nirvana t-shirt before going downstairs. I smiled, wrapping an arm around Jamia’s waist as she stood in front of the stove.

“Hey,” I said quietly. “Here, let me take Miles.”

I took Miles from her arms and smiled down at him.

“You need help?” I asked.

“That’s okay, I’m just finishing,” she said.

I sat next to Gee at the table and smiled.

“Daddy, look at the dinosaur I’m coloring,” he said. “What is it called, Mia?”

“A tyrannosaurus rex,” she said.

“Tyrasorus rex,” Gee repeated.

“Very pretty,” I said, looking at the pink scribbled dinosaur.

Mia finished cooking and soon we were all eating. Gee started falling asleep while he ate and Jamia took him up to bed while I fed Miles. Jamia sat beside me on the couch as I burped him, cradling him in my arms. His little hand wrapped around the tip of my finger and my eyes watered.

“I made the right decision to keep him, right?” I asked.

“You did,” Jamia said. “He’s so cute.”

I gently kissed his forehead, smiling softly.

“I love you,” I whispered. “You’re my sweet little boy.”

Jamia smiled, holding Miles’ hand.

“You know, I’ve been thinking about something and it may be kind of crazy,” I said. “But...I-I was thinking of adopting Gee.”

“Are you able to?” She asked.

“Yeah, I looked it up,” I said. “And I just thought that maybe that would be best for the situation that we’re in right now. And I love Gee and I just want the best for him and everyone seems to think that he’s my son anyways. Do you think that’s crazy?”

“No, I think it’s sweet,” she said. “You should do it.”

“How did I go from being a single, childless musician to now having two kids,” I muttered.

Jamia smiled, resting her head on my shoulder as she looked at Miles. She gently rubbed his head, smiling at the soft, dark tuft of hair on his head. I looked over at her with a smile, my heart skipping a beat.

“Mia--”

Miles interrupted me by crying and I sighed.

“I think someone is tired,” I cooed.

I went upstairs and tried to put him down for bed but he just kept screaming and I prayed it wouldn’t wake Gee up. Jamia took Miles and it was almost like magic as he fell asleep in her arms.

“How’d you do that?” I asked as she put the baby in the crib.

“I used to babysit in high school, remember?” She asked and I nodded. “I guess I’m pretty good with kids.”

I put Mr. Snuggles into the crib but Jamia quickly took it out.

“You can’t put things in the crib, it could kill him,” she said.

“God, I’m such a bad parent,” I muttered.

“No, you aren’t,” she denied, setting the bear down onto the dresser, putting both her hands on my shoulders as she looked up at me. “You’re just new to all of this and you’ll learn this in time. It’s new and different you’re learning but you’re gonna be an amazing dad.”

I kissed his cheek gently and we left the room, shutting the door quietly.

“God, Mia, thank you so much,” I mumbled. “I really needed that sleep and I was getting really stressed out because I don’t know how to get Miles to stop crying and taking care of Gee at the same time is just a lot harder than I thought.”

“You’ll get the hang of it,” she said, holding my hand.

“What if I don’t?” I asked. “I-I could get a nanny or something.”

“If you want you could but...but I think you’ll be able to do this on your own, I know you can,” Jamia said.

“You think?” I asked.

“Yeah, I really do,” she said. “And I’ll be here to help you whenever you need me.”

We heard quiet whimpers before Gee started crying. We went into his room, crouching beside his bed.

“I-I had a nightmare,” he whimpered.

“It wasn’t real, sweetheart,” Jamia whispered.

“Can you cuddle with me, Mommy?” Gee asked.

Jamia looked shocked for a moment as she looked at Gee before looking up at me. She curled up next to Gee, wrapping her arms around him. 

“I missed your snuggles,” Gee mumbled. “Daddy, you cuddle too.”

“We can’t all fit on there, no matter how tiny you are,” I said.

“Daddy, cuddle me,” Gee pouted.

He pressed himself up against the wall and I laid down, Jamia in between us. My body was pressed against hers as I spooned her, my hand gently going to rest on her hip.

“I like snuggles,” Gee mumbled. “Makes the bad dreams go away.”

“We don’t ever want you to have bad dreams,” Jamia whispered, kissing his forehead.

Gee fell asleep and Jamia followed soon after. I wasn’t tired from the sleep I just had so I just laid there, too scared of moving and waking both of them up. My body was pressed against Jamia’s, our bodies seemingly molded together perfectly. I took a deep breath, taking in the scent of her strawberry shampoo. I closed my eyes, thoughts invading my mind.

I just kept thinking about our bodies being pressed together in bed for an entirely different reason. I imagine our bodies rocking together, her chubby cheeks flushed pink as she let out desperate little moans while I fucked her hard.

I shook my head, opening my eyes. I gently moved out of the bed and walked downstairs. I grabbed my guitar and a notebook, biting my lip. I tried writing for a bit but I was just stuck in a lump. Everytime I just kept trying to write a song Jamia just kept popping up in my mind and I couldn’t think of anything else.

It was almost a relief when Miles started crying and I was able to push my empty notebook away. I carried Miles downstairs and got a bottle for him, sitting down in an armchair downstairs next to the drumset. I fed him, kicking out the recliner as I sighed, watching him eat quietly.

“What do I do, Miles?” I asked. “I-I can hardly even think straight anymore. It’s like whenever I try to think all I could think about is her pretty smile and her beautiful eyes. Sometimes I can write entire songs within just a few hours and now I can barely even start thinking about a song. I really think I am falling in love with her, would you like her to be your mom, Miles?”

Miles didn’t say anything, obviously, he just kept drinking. I heard footsteps downstairs and I could hear Jamia on the phone. I glanced up the stairs and saw her hang up. She glanced over and smiled, walking down to sit on the couch.

“Everything okay?” I asked.

“Yeah, I had a date tonight and he’s kinda annoyed that I cancelled,” Jamia said.

“You had a date?” I asked.

I could feel my heart drop as I looked down at Miles.

“Yeah, it was some date with a guy I had met at a bar,” she said. “This was supposed to be our first date.”

“I’m sorry I ruined it,” I said quietly. “I shouldn’t have made you watch Gee and Miles, I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay,” she said. “I’m glad I was here. In all honestly I would rather stay here than go on a date.”

“Why were you going then?” I asked.

“I don’t know...I just figured that he seemed nice so I might as well,” Jamia mumbled.

“You shouldn’t settle,” I said. “Especially not with some guy who is probably just some douchebag.”

“You don’t know him,” Jamia defended.

“You’re gonna find someone even better than him, you shouldn’t have to be settle for some shitty guy,” I said.

“He isn’t shitty, Frank,” she said. “He’s nice.”

“I’m just saying,” I said with a small shrug. “You’re going to find someone who is better than him, someone who loves you with all their heart.”

“Yeah right,” she scoffed. “No one’s gonna love me.”

I shook my head, moving over to sit next to her.

“Mia, you’re beautiful and sweet and so perfect and any guy would be lucky to have you,” I said.

Jamia smiled softly, kissing my cheek. She cooed down at Miles until he was done eating and I put him to bed while Jamia and I spent the rest of the night talking.


	33. Chapter 33

“Hey, Mia, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the movies with me tonight?” I asked over the phone. 

“Sure, who’s watching Gee and Miles?” She asked. 

“Evan is,” I said. 

“Alright, that sounds like fun,” Jamia agreed. 

“Okay, I’ll pick you up in an hour,” I said. 

I giggled excitedly as I hung up, going to get dressed. I put on a pair of black jeans, a white button up and my black leather jacket, fixing my short, brown hair. Evan came over and I told him what to do to take care of Miles before leaving to go pick Jamia up. I knocked on her door, my heart racing nervously. 

“Wow, you’re all dressed up,” she remarked. 

“You look beautiful,” I said. 

She blushed as she looked down at her simple navy blue dress. We got into my car and we got to the movies. I paid for tickets and snacks before we sat down. 

“We haven’t done this in so long, I’m glad we are,” she said. “I feel like we haven’t spent any time alone together recently.”

“Me too,” I agreed. 

The movie started and I glanced over to where her hand was on the armrest between us. I went to go hold it but at that moment she moved it away to grab some popcorn. 

“That was funny,” she said when the movie was done. “I liked that.”

“Yeah,” I mumbled in agreement. 

I hadn’t even paid attention, I just kept thinking of her the entire time. I drove her home, walking her up to her front door. 

“Thanks for taking me out, it was a lot of fun,” she said. “We should do it again. Although, you were really quiet tonight, why’s that?”

I leaned forward, pressing my lips against hers. She kissed back for a moment before pulling away.

“I don’t wanna be just one of your one night stands or quick hook ups, Frank,” she whispered. 

“No, you’re not,” I denied. “I’m in love with you.”

“You are?” She asked hopefully. 

I nodded, holding her hips as I kissed her again. Mia opened the door and I backed her into her house, gently laying her down on the couch. She whimpered quietly, pushing my jacket off. 

“I love you,” I whispered. 

“I love you too,” she said. 

My hands ran down from her knees up her thighs to hold her waist. My phone rang and I cursed as I sent it to voicemail. My hips rolled down against her and she gasped, letting out a shaky moan. My phone only rang again and I sighed as I sat up. Jamia panted softly, looking up at me as I answered it. 

“Hello?” I asked. 

“Frank?” Evan asked. “Oh god, Frank, Gee is sick and he isn’t doing well.”

“What do you mean?” I asked. 

I moved away and Jamia looked at me in concern. 

“I-I don’t know, he was fine one second and then after dinner he started acting kind of funny and he felt warm so I put him to bed but now he’s burning up and he keeps getting worse really fast,” Evan said. “He’s got a fever, he’s burning up and I think you should come home.”

I hung up, quickly throwing on my jacket. 

“Frank, what’s wrong?” Jamia asked. 

“Gee is sick,” I said. 

I ran outside and down the street, hurrying upstairs into Gee’s room. He laid in the bed, pale, sweaty and shaking. 

“Oh, Princess,” I muttered, kneeling beside him. 

“Daddy, I-I feel icky,” he whimpered. 

I grabbed the thermometer and stuck it in his mouth. Fear washed over me when I saw his temperature was 108.4°.

“It keeps rising, it’s gone up almost a whole degree since I called you,” Evan said. 

“Fuck,” I muttered. “Can you stay here with Miles? I need to get him to the hospital.”

“Yeah, of course,” Evan said. 

“I’ll drive you,” Jamia said. 

I nodded, carrying Gee out to the car. He was bundled up in the backseat with me, laying in my lap as Jamia drove. He seemed to only get worse, he could hardly stay awake. 

“We’re almost there,” Jamia said. 

Gee’s eyes rolled back slightly and suddenly his whole body was convulsing. 

“He’s having a seizure!” I shrieked. 

We were just pulling into the hospital when he stopped, his body relaxing. My shaky hand pressed against his neck.

“Th-there’s no pulse,” I whispered.

We pulled up to the doors and I opened the door, seeing a couple nurses standing there.

“Help! I need help!” I shouted.

They hurried over, grabbing a stretcher as they called for more people. Someone climbed onto the stretcher with Gee, giving him CPR as they rushed them in. I followed quickly while Jamia parked the car.

“What happened?” The nurse asked.

“I don’t know, I was out and his babysitter said he wasn’t feeling very well,” I said. “When I got home he was burning up and he had a seizure then stopped breathing on the way here.”

“He has a pulse,” the nurse on top of him said while we stood in the elevator.

“He doesn’t have an immune system, he was kept in a locked room his whole life,” I said. “Please, please help him.”

The took him down a hall where I wasn’t allowed and I sobbed loudly. Jamia met me up here and we talked with the nurses. She helped me fill out the paperwork while I cried. 

“I’m such a bad parent,” I sobbed.

“No you aren’t,” she denied, holding my hand.

“Yes I am,” I insisted. “I-I shouldn’t have just left my kids there while I went out on a date. I mean, Miles is only two weeks old! How can I leave a two week old?! I should’ve been home with them instead of going out on dates.”

“You aren’t a bad dad just for going out and having a little bit of fun,” she said, giving my hand a soft squeeze. “Gee would’ve gotten sick whether you were home or not. You are not a bad dad.”

“Th-the adoption is going to be finalized next week,” I said. “Maybe I should just cancel it and send him off to go live in the special needs group home because he’ll be better off there. And maybe Miles should go up for adoption.”

“Frankie, it’s okay,” Jamia said. “This could happen to anyone and it doesn’t mean you’re a bad dad. You’re gonna adopt Gee and he’s gonna be okay. And Miles is gonna live with you for a long time, he’s going to love you.”

“He was dead, Mia,” I whispered. “He was actually, completely dead.”

“And it isn’t your fault,” she said. “You’re a great dad to both Gee and Miles.”

I rest my head on her shoulder as I cried.

“I was supposed to take care of him,” I whispered. “I was supposed to keep him safe and I couldn’t.”

“Frankie, it’s gonna be okay,” she said. “It might be a little while until we get any information, you should probably get some sleep, I’m gonna go call Evan and check up on him and Miles.”

I nodded, laying down across the seats. Jamia went off, going to call Evan. I sniffled, crying quietly as I laid there. Jamia came back and she lifted my head up, laying it on her lap so she could run her fingers through my hair gently.

“I-Is my son okay?” I asked.

“Yeah, he’s okay, he’s just sleeping right now,” she said softly. “Evan’s watching him to make sure he isn’t gonna get sick too.”

“D-do you think Gee is gonna be okay?” I asked.

“Yeah, he is,” Jamia said. “And then by next week you’re gonna be happy together again and Gee is gonna be adopted as your son and you’re gonna have two boys. And Miles is gonna have a big brother.”

I nodded, sniffling as my fingers played with the skirt of her dress. I knew we should probably talk about what happened between us at some point but I just couldn’t. So much was going on right now, I just couldn’t even think about what happened between us. The only thing that mattered right now was Gee and his health.

“How could I let this happen?” I muttered. “I failed the one job that I had. All I had to do was keep him safe and then I was just dumb and I left him alone and he got sick and died.”

“He isn’t dead, he’s fine,” Jamia said. “And it isn’t like you just left him alone, you got him a babysitter, you had someone else there to take care of him, you didn’t just leave him to fend for himself. You are an amazing dad, Frankie, an amazing dad to both Gee and Miles. And they’re gonna grow up perfectly healthy.”

I sniffled and nodded, holding her hand. I gave her hand a soft kiss, crying quietly as I held it tight.

“Mia, what do I do if he...if he doesn’t make it?” I asked nervously.

“He is going to make it, Frank,” she said. 

“He might not,” I whispered. “He doesn’t have an immune system, he can’t even fight off the common cold.”

“He’s gonna be okay,” Jamia whispered. “I-I think I’m gonna go get some coffee, do you want some, Frankie?”

“How am I supposed to get some sleep but drink coffee?” I mumbled.

“I’ll get decaf,” she said.

She went to stand but I shook my head, my hand on her thigh.

“Please don’t leave me,” I begged. “N-not right now, I don’t wanna be alone.”

Jamia nodded, running her fingers through my hair again. I sniffled quietly, wiping my eyes.

“Blackbird singing in the dead of night,” Jamia sang softly and I broke down sobbing again. “Take these broken wings and learn to fly, all your life, you were only waiting for this moment to be arise.”


	34. Chapter 34

“Gerard Way?” Someone asked.

I stood up, heading to the doctor.

“I-is he okay?” I asked.

“He is,” he said. “He was in critical condition but we’ve stabilized him.”

“C-can I see him?” I asked.

“I’m sorry but it’s immediate family only,” he said sympathetically.

“I-I’m adopting him next week,” I said.

“I’m sorry but it’s just the rules, I can come back when you can see him,” he said.

“How long will that be?” I asked.

“I don’t know, I would say not for a few hours,” he said.

My eyes watered as I went back to Jamia.

“Th-they won’t let me see him,” I whimpered. “They said it’s immediate family only.”

“That’s bullshit, you’re all he has,” Jamia said.

She stormed up to the doctor, grabbing him by the lapels on his white lab coat.

“Gee is in there all alone,” Jamia spat. “He is scared and lonely and mentally handicapped. He is like a five year old and Frank is the only person he has. He needs Frank and he is just about to have the adoption finalized. You cannot leave him there all alone.”

“Fine but if anyone asks I didn’t let you through,” he said.

He lead us back and I held Jamia’s hand nervously. We went into his room and I saw Gee laying there unconscious, a breathing tube down his throat.

“Wh-why does he have that?” I asked.

“He was having difficulties breathing, his throat was swollen,” the doctor said. “His temperature was dangerously high and it lead to him having some seizures. We...we lost him again at one point but we brought him back with the defibrillators. “

“Is he gonna be okay?” I asked.

“He should be,” he said. “We gave him medication to stop the infection and we cooled his body by placing ice packs on him and giving him cold IV fluids, which helped to also give him nutrients that would help him to pass the fever.”

“How long is he gonna be here?” I asked.

“We’re gonna keep him here for another day,” the doctor said. “You two should probably go home and get some rest, he’ll most likely asleep for the next few hours. You two have been here the whole night.”

“But--”

“Frank, we should go,” Mia interrupted. “You need a shower and you should relieve Evan of Miles.”

I sniffled and nodded.

“Promise he won’t wake up?” I asked. “I don’t want him waking up alone.”

“We promise,” he said.

Jamia took my hand and brought me down to the car. We drove home and I sniffled as I took Miles from Evan’s homes.

“Hey, Baby Boy, I missed you,” I cooed.

I sniffled, cradling him softly.

“Frank, come on, you should go shower,” Jamia said. 

I nodded, giving Miles back to Evan. I went upstairs to shower as I listened to Jamia tell Evan about the situation. The shower lasted longer than I had intended, I didn’t get out until the water was starting to cool and my fingers were wrinkled. I put on a pair of jeans and a hoodie. 

“Evan made food,” Jamia said. “I’m gonna go grab a shower too.”

“There…there isn’t much hot water left,” I said quietly. 

“That’s okay, I won’t be long,” she said. 

I went downstairs and ate quietly. 

“So, h-how was the date?” Evan asked. 

“I don’t even wanna think about that right now,” I mumbled. “I just need to think about Gee.”

He nodded and Mia came down ten minutes later. She wore a pair of my sweatpants and my hoodie, her damp hair pulled into a ponytail. 

“Can we go now?” I asked hopefully. 

“Yeah, let’s go,” she said. 

“I-I wanna bring Miles,” i said. 

“You sure?” She asked. 

I nodded, packing up his stuff. I grabbed some of Gee’s and added it to the diaper bag. 

“Let’s go, Sweetheart,” Jamia cooed, wrapping Miles up in his little baby blanket. 

We got into the car and drove back to the hospital. I held the car seat that Miles laid peacefully in while Jamia got the bag. We went to the room and I sniffled as I sat down next to Gee’s bed. Jamia cradled Miles in her arms. 

The breathing tube was removed and when I held Gee’s hand it was clammy. The heart monitor beeped steadily and I sniffled as I looked over at Jamia sadly. She reached over and squeezed my shoulder gently. Miles cooed softly as he woke up. 

“Hey, Miles, you want your Daddy?” Jamia asked. 

She handed him to me and I sniffed, kissing his forehead. We sat around playing until Gee stirred awake. 

“Mommy, Daddy,” he muttered. 

“Hey, Baby, how are you feeling?”

“Where am I?” He asked weakly. 

“You got sick, you’re at the hospital,” I said. 

“Miles, I wanna get a hug from Miles,” he said. 

I handed Gee Miles and he smiled down at the little baby. 

“Are you excited to have him be your baby brother in a week?” I asked. 

Gee nodded. “I always wanted a baby brother.”

“He’s gonna be happy to have a big brother,” I said. 

“Am I gonna be a good big brother?” He asked. 

“Of course you are,” I said. 

Jamia took Miles as he fussed quietly. I kissed his cheek gently and he smiled. 

“Mommy, I’m hungry,” he said. 

“Alright, I’ll get a nurse,” Jamia said. 

I took Miles as she left. 

“Daddy, did you have fun out with Mommy?” Gee asked. 

“Gee, why do you call her Mommy?” I asked. 

“Because she takes care of me just like you do, Daddy,” He said. 

Jamia came in with a nurse and they checked his vitals. 

“You want some soup, Sweetheart?” The nurse asked. 

“What kinda?” Gee asked. 

“Chicken broth,” she said. 

“What’s broth?” Gee asked. 

“That’ll Be Fine,” Jamia said. 

“And maybe later if you’re feeling better then you can have some jello,” she said. 

Gee’s lip quivered and I squeezed his hand. 

“He’s scared of jello,” Jamia said. 

The nurse nodded and left. 

“Mommy, can you read me one of my stories?” Gee asked hopefully. 

She smiled and pulled one of his books out of the diaper bag. 

“How does the Princess and the Pea sound?” She asked. 

“Good, Mommy,” Gee said. 

He snuggled up in the hospital bed as Jamia read the story to him. 

“Did you bring Seb Seb?” He asked. 

I nodded, giving him his toy. I cooed at Miles as held onto my finger. 

“You’re really feeling better?” I asked nervously. 

Gee nodded. “I went to another place when I was in my nappie.”

“Y-you…did you go to Heaven?” Jamia asked. 

“I don’t know what that’s is, Mommy,” Gee said. 

“Were you in any pain?” I asked sadly. 

“No, Daddy, why would I be?” He asked. 

Because you died twice. 

“No reason,” I said. 

Gee ate quietly before falling asleep. I sniffled quietly, looking down at Miles.

“He’s gonna be okay, right?” I asked.

“He’s already broken, he can’t really get any worse,” Jamia said.

“Yeah, I guess,” I mumbled.

I rubbed my thumb over Miles soft cheek and his mouth opened slightly as he cooed.

“Frank, c-can we talk about what happened last night?” Jamia asked.

“Fuck, every time I have tried to talk we always get interrupted,” I muttered. “I’ve been trying to tell you how I feel for weeks now.”

“How...how do you feel?” She asked.

“I love you, Jamia,” I said. “I-I’m in love with you.”

“You are?” She asked hopefully. “B-but you weren’t before when I kissed you.”

“I know but something has changed between us since then,” I said. “And since then I have fallen in love with you so hard I don’t even know how to breathe.”

“Th-then what does this mean for us?” She asked.

“Will you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?” I asked.

“A-are you serious?” She asked. “You want to date me?”

Something foul smelling filled the room and I realized it was coming from Miles. I sighed as I changed his diaper before sitting back down next to Jamia.

“I do want to date you, Jamia,” I said. “And I know it may be a little soon but I want you in my life for a long time, I want you to be Miles’ mother and I want you to adopt Gee with me and I want to marry you and live with you until we’re both old. It all seems really fast, I know, I just love you so much and I’ve known you for so long and--”

Jamia cut me off with a kiss and I smiled softly.

“Okay,” she whispered. “I’ll be your girlfriend.”

“Fuck, okay,” I sighed. “Man, I-I was so nervous.”

I reached forward, sighing as I gently rubbed Gee’s forearm.

“He’ll be fine, Frank,” she said.

“I know, I’m just really worried and tired,” I said.

“Gee has to stay the night so I can take Miles back home with me later if you want to stay the night here with Gee,” she offered.

“Thank you, Mia, that would be amazing,” I said. “God I’m so glad you’re here with me.”

She gave me a soft kiss that lingered against my lips and I smiled. It made my heart skip a beat, her lips were so soft and sweet. 

“I’m gonna go take Miles for a walk,” I said. “I-I heard walks are good for babies and I bet this baby is gonna be a genius and maybe walking will be good for him.”

She smiled and nodded and I stood up. I held Miles to my chest as I walked around the halls. I looked around curiously, standing at a big window. I looked outside, smiling as I held Miles with his back to me so he could look out.

“Look, Miles, soon when you’re big enough you’re gonna be able to go out and play with me and your big brother, Gee,” I said. “And maybe even your mom, Jamia. Hopefully your mom, at least. I feel like I might be scaring her from how sudden this is but I’ve just fallen so far in love with her I don’t know how to get out.”


	35. Chapter 35

“Is he drinking?” I asked, watching Jamia as she fed Miles.

“Yeah, he is,” she said.

“Alright, I’m gonna go check on Gee,” I said.

I went upstairs to where Gee was taking a nap.

“Hey, princess, how you feeling?” I asked.

“Sleepy,” he mumbled.

I sat on the bed, pressing my hand against his forehead.

“Your temperature has gone down, you should feel all better tomorrow,” I said.

I kiss his cheek, holding his hand.

“Daddy, I don’t wanna be in bed anymore,” he whined.

“I know,” I said. “But you just need to stay healthy.”

I ran my fingers through his hair gently.

“In a few days you’re gonna be my real Daddy?” Gee asked.

“Yeah, I am,” I said.

“Good, I’m glad to have a real daddy that’s nice,” he mumbled.

I smiled, kissing his forehead.

“Get some rest now,” I said.

I left him alone and went downstairs.

“So, are you okay with Gee calling you Mommy?” I asked. “Because I can talk to him if you want.”

“No, it’s okay,” she said. “I like it.”

Miles finished eating and I held him to my chest, patting his back until he burped. I felt something wet drip on my back and I grimaced. 

“Did he throw up?” I asked.

“All down your back,” she said.

I sighed and went upstairs, setting him down in his crib. I changed my t-shirt before going back down to sit on the couch next to Jamia. She sat nervously, playing with her fingers in her lap. I held her cheek gently, turning her to face me. I pressed my lips against hers and I felt her relax as she melted into the kiss.

“S-sorry if I’m a little awkward,” she mumbled.

“It’s okay, this is all new,” I said.

I pressed my lips against hers, pulling her closer to me. She let out a quiet whimper as she tangled her fingers in my hair. I pulled her closer and she straddled my hips. 

“I love you,” I whispered.

“I love you too,” she whispered.

I held her hips, my hands hands reaching around to squeeze her ass. She whimpered, pulling away when the doorbell rang. She sat on the couch and I opened the door, finding the rest of my band stood on the front porch.

“Hey, what’s up?” I asked, running my fingers through my hair.

“We just wanted to see Gee, make sure he’s okay,” Matt said.

I let them in, biting my lip nervously.

“Oh, I didn’t know you were here, Mia,” Evan said.

She nodded and I lead them upstairs. I left them alone before going down to talk to Jamia.

“Sh-should we tell them we’re together?” I asked.

“I think that maybe we should keep it a secret a little bit,” she said. “J-just to make sure everything works out between us first.”

I nodded, giving her a soft kiss. 

“I love you,” I whispered.

Jamia blushed as I pulled away. I went back up and smiled when I saw them all showering Gee in little gifts. I smiled, leaning against the doorway.

“We should probably let him sleep,” Evan said.

I nodded and we all left the room.

“Is he okay?” Matt asked.

“Yeah, he should be,” I said. “Doctors gave him medicine and he’s starting to feel better, he should be perfectly fine in just a few days.”

“How’s Miles?” Alex asked.

“He’s fine,” I said. “He’s sleeping right now so I’m not going to bother him because you should never wake a baby.”

We went downstairs and I sighed.

“Do you wanna order a pizza or something?” I asked.

They nodded and I ordered a pizza for us. I went upstairs, grabbing my wallet.

“Let me pay,” Jamia said.

I turned around as she shut the door.

“No, no, that’s okay, I can pay,” I said.

“Frank, it’s okay, you have to pay for diapers and formula and now Gee’s medical bills too,” she said. “I know you’re tough on money, let me pay for the pizza.”

I bit my lip as I looked at my wallet. I had just over two hundred but it I needed two hundred dollars just for a month worth of diapers and formula for Miles. And I would need to start paying the bills soon too.

“Frank, it’s okay,” she said.

I sighed, setting my wallet down on my dresser.

“I’m sorry, Mia, you’re always paying for my stuff,” I said.

She gave me a kiss, wrapping her arms around my neck.

“I hope you’re not one of those guys who feel emasculated for me having more money,” she said.

“I think it’s sexy,” I whispered.

I pressed her against the dresser and she let out a soft whimper. 

“Fuck, w-we should go downstairs before they get suspicious,” I said.

“Not without a kiss first,” she said.

I smiled, giving her a kiss. She went downstairs and I bit my lip as I looked at my wallet again. I would probably have to get another job again now that I’m not going on tour. But then someone would have to watch Gee and Miles and I always felt bad asking people to watch them. 

I went downstairs and sat on the couch. The others talked and ate happily but I was quiet the whole time. As soon as they left Jamia held my hand, giving me a soft kiss.

“What’s wrong, Frank?” I asked.

“Nothing,” I mumbled. “I was just thinking is all, I’m gonna need to get a job while I’m not making music.”

“But speaking of, there were some people who requested you to perform in Ohio in three weeks,” she said.

“I-I don’t know If I can do that,” I said. “What about Miles?”

“It’ll be the baby’s first road trip,” she said and I bit my lip nervously. “I’ll be fine we’ll drive up there and I’ll watch Miles while you’re busy. Plus they’re paying pretty good money.”

I nodded, giving her a kiss.

“Alright then, I’ll give them a call,” she said.

I turned on the tv and she went to the kitchen to make the call. I could hear Miles cry upstairs and I went upstairs to pick him up. I smelled his dirty diaper and I laid him on the changing my on the ground. He kicked his feet, crying loudly as Jamia walked in.

“You need held?” She asked.

“No, I’ve got it,” I said. 

I took off Miles’ diaper and gasped when he peed on me. I shrieked, covering him up as Jamia laughed. She was practically in tears as I muttered unhappily, changing his diaper. I could smell the urine on me as he looked up at me.

“Two outfits in one day, Miles,” I sighed. “And don’t give me that innocent look.”

Miles cooed, waving his arms as he looked around.

“Okay, I’ll watch him and you go shower,” Jamia said after she caught her breath.

I went down the hall to the master bathroom and got out of my dirty clothes. I got in the shower, closing my eyes as the warm water washed down over me. I scrubbed my hair with shampoo before I let it rinse and the soapy suds ran down my chest. I sighed quietly, wrapping my arms around my middle. 

I got out, wrapping a towel around my waist. I wiped off the foggy mirror and sighed as I ran my fingers through my short, wet hair. I sighed quietly as I ran my fingers over the scruff on my jaw. The door opened and I looked over at Jamia, who held Miles in her arms. She blushed blushed, looking down. I pulled my towel around myself a little bit tighter so it didn’t hang so loose around my hips.

“Hey, uh, I was just wondering if you wanted me to stay for dinner or not,” she said.

“I was hoping you would stay the night,” I said.

“A-are you sure?” she asked. 

“You seem so nervous, you’ve stayed the night before,” I said.

“Yeah but we were never, you know, a couple when I stayed the night,” she said. “And we’ve never shared a bed as a couple and we’ve never eaten breakfast as a couple and--”

“Mia, you’re so cute,” I said. “You’re gonna be fine, I promise.”

I gave her a kiss and smiled.

“You don’t have to stay the night if you really don’t want to,” I said. “I don’t want to pressure you into anything at all.”

“No, I do, I’m just nervous,” she mumbled.

I smiled, kissing the top of Miles’ head. I held Jamia’s hand and smiled. Gee started crying and I took Miles as she went to go check on him to make sure he was feeling okay. I set Miles down onto the bed as I got dressed before picking him up again. I carried him downstairs and laid him on the rug, sitting in front of him.

“Hey, Baby Boy,” I cooed. 

I held both his hands, waving them in front of his face. Miles looked at them curiously as he cooed, wrapping his hand around my pinky. I smiled, leaning down to kiss his forehead. Jamia came downstairs, holding Gee’s hand.

“He wanted to watch tv but he promised to stay laying down on the couch,” Jamia said.

She laid him down on the couch, covering him with a warm, fuzzy blanket. She went to the kitchen before coming with a glass of water and some medicine.

“No,” Gee whined.

“You have to take the medicine to help you feel better,” she said.

Gee shook his head, pressing his lips into a firm line.

“If you don’t take the medicine then you’re gonna have to go lay down upstairs again,” she said.

Gee pouted and took the medicine. I turned on Teletubbies for him, continuing to play with Miles on the floor.

“What do you want for dinner?” I asked.

“Anything is fine,” Jamia said.

I reached over, giving her hand a soft squeeze. 

Later that night I changed into my pajamas, crawling into bed. Jamia looked at me nervously and I smiled. She had run home to get herself an overnight bag before she came back.

“Turn around,” she said.

I smiled, turning my back to her while she changed. She crawled into bed with me nervously, dressed in her Superman pajama pants and matching t-shirt. Jamia laid on the other side of the bed and I smiled, laying closer to her.

“Wy are you so far away?” I asked. “You don’t have to be nervous.”

I heard crying and Gee crawled into the bed with us.

“Gee, you have to sleep in your own bed,” I said.

I carried him back to his bed, tucking him in. I sang him back to sleep and I sighed as I went back to lay with Jamia. She looked over over at me, giving me a soft kiss as her brown eyes seemed to sparkle. She was so pretty and finally she was mine.


	36. Chapter 36

We had finished up the show in Ohio last night but tonight we had a show in Detroit. We were performing at Saint Andrew’s Hall, down in the Shelter. I smiled, holding Miles in my arms when some fans walked up excitedly. I gave them autographs and took pictures with them, making sure to cover my son’s face when I did so.

“Hey, Frank!” Evan called them and I walked off.

I wrapped Miles in the blanket a little tighter. Despite it getting warmer I was still worried that he was too cold and he might get sick.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“We were just gonna go out and grab some food,” Evan asked.

I nodded, joining up with the rest of them.

“You’re my real daddy now,” Gee said as he giggled.

“I am,” I said. “And Miles is your baby brother.”

“And Mia is my real mommy,” he said.

“Well, no, she isn’t your real mommy,” I said.

“I wish she was,” Gee said.

“Me too,” I muttered under my breath.

A few blocks down we saw a pizza place. We sat down at a table with two pizzas and I sighed quietly.

“We really need to get a stroller for Miles,” Jamia said, chuckling as she saw me hold Miles with one hand and eat with the other.

“But I like having him close to me, I feel safer with him here with me than in a stroller,” I said. “I mean, Gee was taken out of his stroller.”

“Just because it happened to him it doesn’t mean it’ll happen to Miles,” she said.

“I know but...I just keep thinking about someone taking Miles and starving him and leaving him locked up like he’s nothing,” I mumbled. “It just terrifies me.”

“Nobody is gonna let that happen to him,” Jamia said. “We would all do anything and everything to keep him safe.”

The others nodded in agreement and I smiled.

“Thank you, guys, I wouldn’t even be able to be strong enough to raise him if it wasn’t for you guys always here to help me,” I said.

They all smiled and Gee looked over.

“Can I hold Miles?” He asked.

“Okay but clean the pizza grease off your hands first,” I said.

He went to the bathroom, washing his hands before he came and sat next to me. I handed him Miles carefully and he cradled him in his arms.

“Make sure you support his head, be careful,” I said.

Gee nodded, cooing down at Miles. We finished eating and headed back to the venue. Someone was waiting from an online blog requested to interview me. I held Miles, answering their rather generic questions. I expressed my love for music and for my kids and for my bandmates.

“I can take him for a bit,” Evan offered.

Evan took Miles from me and I found Jamia by the stage as she talked with Alex.

“Hey, Mia, I was dumb and I accidentally locked my guitar case again and I can’t find my key,” I said.

“You’re always doing that,” Jamia said, rolling her eyes. “You can’t shut it so fast, you know that it’s broken and if you shut it too hard it automatically locks.”

“I know, it was an accident,” I said.

We went back to the dressing room and I smiled as I shut the door behind us.

“How do you always lose the key too?” She asked as she picked up her guitar case. “It’s small, can’t you just put it in your wallet or something?”

“Mia, I didn’t actually lock the case,” I said with a small chuckle.

“Oh,” She mumbled, a soft pink blush spreading over her cheeks.

I held her hips, pressing my lips against hers. She let out a soft whimper as I walked her back against the wall. She pulled me close, a leg going to hook around my waist to pull our hips together. I let out a soft gasp, going to kiss up her neck.

“O-oh fuck, Frank,” she muttered.

I kissed her roughly, my body pressed tight against hers. The door burst open and I jumped away as Gee stood there staring at us.

“Gee, it’s not what it looks like,” I said. 

“You were kissing her,” Gee said.

“Yeah, th-this is just a new way of saying hello,” Jamia said.

“Oh,” Gee mumbled before walking back out.

I sighed and went out to the stage area. The walls were brick and the ceilings were low as people set up the lights. I went to the back of the small room near the bathrooms and helped Alex sat up the tables and hang up the merch for display. There was commotions near the door and I gasped when I saw some security guard pulling Gee out.

I ran over and went up the narrow stairs, chasing them out through the doors where the line of fans waited to be let in, all of them gasping a bit in excitement. The person shoved Gee to the ground as I gasped.

“Don’t kiss me you fucking faggot,” the man spot.

“Don’t touch him!” I shouted.

I shoved him, very stupidly picking a fight with someone bigger than me.

“Don’t you ever lay a finger on my son!” I yelled

I punched him but it seemed to only hurt my fist more than it actually hurt him. He shoved me to the ground, punching me roughly. It felt a lot like high school all over again as I received blow after blow. Security pulled him off me as Jamia rushed to my side. I grumbled unhappily, spitting on the concrete.

Security took us around the corner and I sat against the brick wall of the building on the crumbling cement of the pothole filled roads of Michigan. Jamia looked over my face in a panic as Evan walked over. I took Miles, Gently caressing his cheek. Gee sniffled, curling up next to my side.

“What happened?” The manager asked.

“I don’t know, I just saw him dragging Gee out and when he shoved my son on the ground I shoved him and then we started fighting,” I said. “Well, wasn’t much of a fight, more just me getting my ass handed to me.”

“Why did he throw you out?” He asked Gee.

Gee whimpered, hiding behind Jamia slightly.

“It’s okay, sweetheart, you can talk to him,” Jamia said.

“I only kissed him,” he said. “I just wanted to say hello.”

Jamia and I looked at each other and I cursed under my breath.

“I’m sorry, this is my fault,” I said. “I told him that people say hello by kissing each other because I didn’t want him to know that I was actually kissing someone romantically.”

“Who were you kissing?” Alex asked.

I looked at Jamia for a moment before looking down.

“You kissed my sister?!” Evan exclaimed.

I just shrugged, reaching over to hold Jamia’s hand.

“He started calling Gee a faggot,” I said. “I promise Gee doesn’t know any better, he’s developmentally disabled and doesn’t know right from wrong.”

“Well, we can assure you that he is going to get reprimanded for his behavior,” the manager said. “And I just want to apologize on his behalf for his behavior.”

“Thank you,” I said.

The workers left and Gee whimpered as he looked at his scraped elbow, showing it to me with a distressed cry.

“I’ll go see if they have band-aids,” Matt offered. “And something for you too, Frank.”

He left and I sighed, leaning my head back against the wall.

“Frank, you’re really dating my sister?” Evan asked.

“You don’t have to get all protective of me now,” Jamia said with a small huff.

“I can’t help it, you’re my sister,” he said.

Gee wandered off between the space of the building and the next to look at the graffiti.

“Don’t wander off to far,” I said.

“I just wanna look at the pretty pictures,” he said innocently.

“How long has this been going on?” Evan asked.

“Um, ever since that day Gee got sick,” I said. “So almost a month then.”

“Jesus,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair.

Matt came back and went over to help Gee with his minor injuries after handing the bag to Jamia. She kneeled beside me, tilting my head up to get a good look of my face. I hiss softly when she rubbed something over the injuries on my face.

“Does it look bad?” I asked.

“Kinda sexy,” she muttered.

“Gross,” Evan mumbled.

I heard the people mover overhead and I sighed as I looked at my watch.

“When do we need to go in?” I asked.

“Soon, they’re starting to let people in,” Alex said.

I nodded and stood up, leaning against the graffiti covered wall. Gee ran over, hugging me tight.

“Sowwy you got ouchies,” he said quietly.

“It’s okay, Baby Boy,” I said.

“Mommy, are we gonna sit at the table?” Gee asked.

“The merch table!” She exclaimed.

“You’re not working it, remember?” I asked with a small chuckle. “Someone else is working it and you’re staying in the dressing room with Miles.”

“Oh yeah, that’s right,” she said. “I’m just so used to working the merch table it feels weird to be able to just sit here and play with this little cutie.”

She tickled Miles’ stomach and he gurgled, waving his arms.

“And play with me too!” Gee exclaimed.

Jamia tickled him and he giggled as he squirmed. We went inside and went down to the dressing room. I grabbed my plastic water bottle, filling it with hot water before adding a tea bag to it.

“Daddy, where are we again?” Gee asked.

“We’re in Michigan, down in Detroit,” I said. “Do you think I have time to take a nap before we go on?”

“You’ve got about two hours,” Jamia said.

“Alright, I’m gonna go out to the van because it’s gonna get loud when the opening bands go on,” I said. “And I’m gonna go take Miles with me, he could probably go for a nap.”

I gave Jamia a soft kiss and she blushed. I went out to the van, putting Miles in his seat.

“Nap time,” I muttered.

I laid on the bench, yawning as I closed my eyes. I was half asleep when I heard people shuffling outside. I felt the van rocking slightly and saw someone trying to break in through the tinted windows. My heart stopped and I cursed, fear washing over me as I felt something washing over me too.

“Wait, I think there’s someone inside,” someone said.

The people outside scurried off and I whimpered as I looked down at the wet spot on my jeans. I changed into a new pair of jeans from my bag, trying to clean up the mess. I grabbed Miles and went inside to the dressing room, hearing the band playing.

“You okay?” Evan asked. “You look pale.”

“Yeah, someone tried to break into the van,” I said.

“Did you change your pants?” Jamia asked.

“I may have gotten scared and peed myself a bit,” I mumbled.

The others laughed quietly as I blushed, clutching Miles to my chest.

“Not funny,” I muttered.

“Daddy had a potty accident?” Gee asked. “It’s okay, I have potty accidents sometimes too.”

He kissed my cheek and I smiled softly, hugging him tight. I tickled him lightly, giving Miles to Jamia as I chased him around the dressing room to tickle him while he shrieked with laughter.


	37. Chapter 37

“So what is this again?” I asked.

“My sister’s rehearsal dinner, I’ve told you this a million times,” Jamia said, rolling her eyes

“I always forget that the dinner is the night before the wedding,” I said. “Do we need to bring a gift?”

“No but I’ve got the present for tomorrow at the wedding,” she said.

“And we need a babysitter for the kids,” I said.

“No, this is a pretty casual event so kids are welcome, they’re just having it at their house,” she said. “They’re having the big wedding tomorrow so they just wanted something simple today. Also sorry for doing this to you, you weren’t gonna go but now you’re being dragged in at last moment because you’re with me.”

I smiled, giving her a kiss.

“It’s fine, I’m excited to be able to dance with you all night tomorrow,” I said. “And you look so cute.”

I looked at her black dress with the black cardigan and black heels. She blushed softly, leaning up to kiss my cheek.

“Go get dressed, I’ll get the boys dressed,” she said. “I got the cutest little outfit for Miles.”

“I’m glad you like them so much because if you weren’t okay with them then that would be a deal breaker,” I said.

“I love kids,” Jamia said. “I love them.”

I smiled, brushing the bangs off her face. I caressed her cheek gently and pressed my lips against hers. I held her close to me, my tongue running along hers.

“Go get dressed, you fool,” she said, swatting my shoulder. “We’re gonna be late.”

I smiled and went upstairs. I dug around through my closet, trying to find something nice to wear that wasn’t too fancy. I put on a pair of my black jeans and a navy blue sweater. I fixed my hair in the mirror, biting my lip. I put on my black Doc Martens before walking out. Gee was waiting, dressed in a big, pink sweater with a white skirt, white thigh highs and his jelly shoes.

“Where’s mommy?” I asked.

“Upstairs with baby,” Gee said.

“Go get your backpack,” I said.

Gee hurried and went upstairs before coming back with his little Care Bear backpack. I put in a couple little toys along with some snacks and his sippy cup.

“Alright, here we are,” Jamia said.

She walked down the stairs and I gasped softly when I saw Miles. He was wearing a white long sleeve baby bodysuit that had tan colored fake suspenders on the front and a little baby blue bowtie. Along with that he had on a pair of dark grey color pants and grey socks.

“He’s so cute!” I cooed, taking Miles from her.

“I wanna see!” Gee exclaimed, running into the room. “He’s so cute!”

We chuckled softly and got into the car. We drove to her sister’s house and I smiled when we walked in. Her sister, Ashley, was over in the kitchen, talking with Evan and her parents.

“Hey,” Jamia said, giving them all hugs. 

Gee clung to my side nervously as he looked around. I gave them hugs too, smiling happily.

“These are my sons, Miles and Gee,” I said.

They all cooed over Miles and I smiled.

“Is Gee adopted?” Ashley asked.

“Yes, he was adopted just about a month and a half ago,” I said.

“He’s so cute,” Ashley said.

Gee blushed, hiding behind Jamia.

“Alright, there is food so help yourselves,” she said.

“Where’s the fiance?” Jamia asked.

“We ran out of ice so he had to go pick some up,” she said.

We nodded and walked off to the other room.

“Mommy, who are these people?” Gee asked.

“They’re some friends of my sister,” she said.

A group of kids ran by, giggling happily. Gee looked at them with a small gasp, looking up at me.

“Do you wanna play with them, Sweetheart?” I asked and he nodded. “Alright, go and ask them to play.”

Gee looked a little nervous before walking off. I watched him go to the group of kids that he looked closer in age to than me. He talked nervously for a moment before all the kids seemed to cheer and Gee’s whole face lit up as he went off to play with them. I sat on the couch, laying Miles on his back in my lap. I played with his little feet and he waved his arms.

“You know, this whole engagement party is only making me think of our possible wedding,” I said. “Maybe we can just elope right now and get married.”

“We’ve been dating each other for two months,” she said.

“Some people get married a week after meeting each other,” I said. “I-I know I’m probably moving fast.”

“Spontaneity was always your things,” she said. “I mean, a few months ago you were just single and alone working at McDonalds and now you’re going on tour and you’ve got two kids and you’re in love. I do want to marry you but...but not yet.”

I nodded, looking down at Miles sadly. I brushed my fingers over his short, dark hair gently.

“Mia?” Someone asked.

I looked up, a scowl forming on my face when I saw who had called her. It was Bob Bryar, Jamia’s old high school boyfriend.

“Oh, it’s been so long!” Jamia exclaimed, giving him a hug. 

I stood up, my chest puffing out instinctively a bit as I looked him over. He didn’t look too much different, his beard had grown a bit and he was a few inches taller now.

“Frank,” Bob said, shaking my hand. “This your kid?”

“Yeah, Miles,” I said.

“Cute,” he replied before turning back to Jamia. “You look so good, Mia.”

I scowled, holding Miles in my arms. Bob and Jamia had dated for almost a year in high school. I remember that he was her first kiss and she lost her virginity to him. I had been protective of her even back in high school when we weren’t dating so I had always had a bit of a grudge against him, it didn’t make it any better now that we’re dating.

“So, why are you here?” I asked.

“Friends with the groom,” he said. “I’m one of the best man.”

“I’m walking down the aisle with him because I’m the maid of honor,” Jamia said. “Did I tell you this?”

“No, you didn’t,” I said.

“So, is Ashley freaking out just as much as Justin?” Bob asked.

“Yes, she seems calm now but when she’s alone she is freaking out,” she said.

“I’m gonna go check on Gee,” I said.

She nodded and I walked off. I looked around but couldn’t find him anywhere.

“Hey, have you seen Gee and the group of kids?” I asked Evan.

“Oh yeah, they went down to the basement,” he said. “ Where’s Mia?”

“With Bob,” I said unhappily. “I’m just gonna go check on Gee.”

“You want me to take Miles for a little bit?” He asked.

“No, that’s okay,” I said, smiling down at Miles.

I went down to the basement and saw the group of kids playing down here. I sat on the couch, watching them all run and chase each other around. I laid Miles on his back on the couch and he kept trying to look around every time he heard one of the kids scream. Gee looked like he was having so much fun as he played with the other kids. I smiled, watching the young-looking boy play with the other little kids.

I fed Miles while I was down here, smiling down at him as he waved his arms, looking up at me. I smiled softly at him and Gee came over. He kissed Miles’ forehead and I smiled. He wanted to feed him so I let him hold him to feed him.

“I’m glad he’s my baby brother now,” Gee said.

“We’re gonna have to go up and eat soon,” I said. 

When Miles was burped I held his hand, holding Miles with the other hand as we went upstairs. I glanced over to where Jamia was on the couch, talking and laughing with Bob, both of them with drinks of alcohol in their hands. I got Gee some food and sat him down.

“Stay here, okay?” I asked.

“Yes, Daddy,” Gee said.

I kissed the top of his head before walking off to sit next to Jamia. I gave her a soft kiss before giving a small scowl to Bob. 

“Are you hungry, Sweetheart?” I asked.

“No, I’m okay,” she said. “Gee alright?”

“Yeah, he’s eating,” I said. “What are you two talking about?”

“W-we were just talking about the time when we snuck into that barn a town over,” she said.

“And then we did it in a haystack,” Bob said.

Jamia swatted his arm and I scowled.

“What?” Bob asked with a chuckle. “Remember that time you gave me a blowjob on the top of a ferris wheel?”

She gasped, covering his mouth with her hand. He tickled her and she shrieked happily.

“Oh, it looks like Miles shit his diaper,” I said.

“I can go change him,” Jamia offered.

I gave her a forced smile as she took him and walked out. I frowned as I turned to Bob.

“Leave Jamia alone,” I said.

“You’ve always been protective of her,” he said.

“She is my girlfriend and you’re flirting with her,” I said.

“Oh come on, you’re a college drop out with two kids, why would she choose you over me?” He asked.

“She loves me,” I said. “She was even in love with me when she was dating you.”

“And you’re the one who left her hanging for all these years,” he said.

“I-I didn’t know,” I defended quietly. “But now she is mine and we are in love and you can’t just take her away from me.”

“Oh yeah? Fucking watch me then,” he said. “But you can’t do anything because poor Mia would be so upset at you for making a commotion and ruining her sister’s wedding.”

Mia came back and she smiled as she sat between us. I looked across her as I scowled, wishing for nothing more than for me to be able to punch him right in the face.


	38. Chapter 38

Jamia shook me awake and I muttered unhappily. She gave me a soft kiss and I smiled. I rubbed my eyes, yawning as I looked up at her straddling my hips.

“I can get used to this,” I mumbled.

She chuckled, kissing my cheek.

“I’ve gotta go meet up with my sister soon,” she said. “But I thought I would help get the kids fed and bathed first.”

“Thank you,” I said with a soft smile.

We went downstairs and I started making breakfast while Jamia got the kids ready. A very tired looking Gee sat down at the table. I put a bottle into the bottle warmer.

“Where’s Mia?” I asked.

Gee let out a tired cry, dropping his head on the table. Jamia came down ten minutes later with Miles.

“This fussy little boy didn’t want his diaper changed,” she said.

“At least he’s only waking up once in the night now,” I said.

She smiled, coming over to give me a kiss. She grabbed the bottle and sat next to Gee as she fed him. I finished cooking but Gee claimed that he was too tired to eat. I had to feed him until we were all done eating.

“Okay, I can give Gee a bath,” Jamia said.

I smiled and picked up Miles. She took Gee upstairs while I went to the kitchen sink. I grabbed the baby soap and filled the water up a bit with warm water. I got him undressed and scooped up some water with a clean cup, gently washing it over his stomach. Miles started crying and I smiled softly.

“I know,” I said. “I know you hate baths, I promise it will be done soon.”

I heard crying start upstairs and I frowned in confusion.

“Gee, we need to finish your bath,” Jamia said.

“But Miles is crying!” Gee sobbed. “I don’t like it when Miles cries! I need to give him kissies to feel better!”

Gee never came down so I assumed Jamia got him back into the tub. I finished bathing Miles, wrapping him up in his little yellow towel with the duck hood that I pulled over his head. I smiled as I carried him upstairs to the bathroom, his crying having stopped now. Gee was in the tub while Jamia cleaned him up. Gee leaned over to kiss Miles’ forehead and I smiled.

“You’re such a good boy to your little brother,” I said.

Gee smiled proudly and I stood up. I went back to Miles’ room, getting him into his diaper. Jamia finished bathing Gee before she had to leave. We played for a little bit before it was time to leave. I put Gee into a fancy pink dress with a white ribbon around his waist. Miles was dressed in a light grey plaid skirt, a dark grey waistcoat, a grey pair of pants with some grey shoes and a matching ascot hat.

“He looks cute,” Gee said as I put on his shoes after I got dressed into my own suit.

“Alright, Gee, while we’re there you have to be very good, okay?” I asked and he nodded. “They’re gonna talk a lot and you have to sit very quiet and still.”

“Yes, Daddy,” Gee said.

I got Miles into his car seat and buckled Gee up next to him. I got in the front seat and drove to the church. People were all walking in, talking happily and excitedly. We got to our seats in the pews and I sighed, setting the diaper bag down on the bench next to me.

“What are we doing?” Gee asked.

“Mia’s sister is getting married,” I said.

“Where is Mommy?” He asked.

“She’s with her sister,” I said.

He played with Sebastian, making his little stuffie dance for Miles. Miles cooed, reaching out for the toy. The ceremony started and Gee watched everyone walk down the aisle in awe. Miles tried to watch too, he loved the colors of the blue bridesmaid dresses. It was too far to see clearly but he could see the fuzzy outlines. He was only able to really see them when they got closer, walking right past us while we sat in the spot closest to the aisle.

“Mommy!” Gee gasped.

I scowled as I saw Jamia walking with her hand holding Bob’s inner elbow. She looked so pretty in her blue dress that was floor length and at the top of the skirt it turned to lace that intricately created patterns and ran down her arms.

“She’s coming,” Gee whispered excitedly.

As Jamia walked by she smiled, giving us a small wave. Miles cooed, holding his arms out to her while Gee waved excitedly. Bob gave me a dirty look as they walked up to the altar. The ceremony went by slow and Gee played with Sebastian. When it was done the wedding party started walking down the aisle and Gee gasped.

“Mommy’s leaving us!” Gee cried.

“No, no she’s not,” I denied, calming him down quickly. “She’s just going outside and we’re gonna go to a different building now and we’re gonna meet her there, she just has to take some pictures first.”

“Pictures with Flashy Evan?” He asked.

I nodded, knowing that Flashy Evan was a camera. We went out to the car and I drove them to the reception hall.

“Daddy, what is that?” Gee whispered.

“What?” I asked.

“That,” he said.

He pointed to something before he hid behind me as he cried.

“What?” I asked again.

He pointed to the balloon and I sighed.

“It’s just a balloon, sweetheart, it won’t hurt you,” I said.

He sniffled quietly and I found out seats near the head table and we were sat with the dates of the rest of the wedding party. We gave small, polite introductions.

“I’m Gee!” The small boy beside me cheered. “I have purple socks!”

“That’s cute,” one of the ladies said.

Miles pulled his hat off and chewed on it. The wedding party came and I frowned softly as I watched Bob and Jamia talk and laugh together. 

“Mommy is here,” Gee said excitedly.

I smiled, holding Gee’s hand. It felt like forever until I was finally able to talk with Jamia.

“I’m so glad Gee didn’t throw a fit during the ceremony, I was really worried,” I said

I looked over to where Gee was playing with Evan and Miles. Evan didn’t have a date so he said he’d take care of the kids if I wanted to dance with Jamia because he didn’t have much else to do.

“Did you bribe him with cake?” Jamia asked.

“No, I should’ve thought of that,” I said.

She chuckled, giving me a soft kiss. 

“Miles looks so cute, I wanna go over and give his cute little chubby cheeks kisses,” she said.

I smiled, following her over to them. Jamia gave them hugs and he smiled. 

“Mommy? W-will you dance with me?” Gee asked nervously.

“Of course I will,” she said.

Jamia and Gee went to the dance floor to dance and I smiled as I watched them.

“Hey, Bob hasn’t been trying anything, has he?” I asked. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with them since you’re on the wedding party.”

“No, I don’t think so,” he said. “They’ve just been reconnecting as friends.”

I nodded, smiling as I looked at Jamia.

“You really love her, huh?” Evan asked.

“I do,” I said. 

I pulled the ring box out of my pocket and showed it to him.

“You’re gonna propose?” He gasped.

“Not right now,” I said. “But I know that she’s the one, she’s the one I’m meant to be with for the rest of my life.”

Evan smiled, shifting Miles to one arm so he could take the box.

“It’s beautiful,” he said. “I know my sister is going to love it.”

I smiled, putting the ring back in my pocket.

“Mia told me she wasn’t ready to get married yet but I know I’m moving a bit fast,” I said. “She told me she wanted us to be together but she didn’t want to get married at the moment, she said we should wait.”

I smiled as I watched her try to teach Gee the macarena. Dinner and dessert went by and by now most people were just quiet and a little drunk, the little drunk category included Jamia because she had a bit too many glasses of wine.

“Come on, Baby, let’s go dance,” I said as a slow song came on.

Jamia smiled and we went out to the dance floor. I held her hips, pulling her close to me. She laid her head on my shoulder as we swayed together and she wrapped her arms around my neck.

“I love you,” I whispered.

“I love you too,” she said.

I glanced over his shoulder and saw Gee sleeping underneath the table, Miles sleeping in Evan’s arms. I held Jamia close to me and I smiled as I closed my eyes.

“Can I have this dance?” Someone asked.

I looked over at Bob and scowled.

“No,” I denied.

“Frank, that’s rude,” Jamia said.

“He’s the asshole who is trying to take you from me,” I said. “He can go fuck himself.”

“Frank!” Jamia gasped.

“I just wanted to dance with an old friend,” Bob said.

“No you fucking didn’t,” I denied, shoving him.

“Stop it, Frank,” Jamia said. 

“Yeah, Frank, stop it,” Bob said.

I punched him in the jaw and people gasped. Evan gasped, running over. He handed Jamia Miles before pulling me away.

“Oh my god, Frank,” Ashley said. “Get out of here!”

Jamia scowled and pulled me away. I picked Gee up and we went out to the car. Jamia stayed silent the whole time. She carried Miles upstairs as I took Gee. He whined quietly as I took off his dress and shoes, changing him into his Cinderella nightgown. I tucked him into bed, kissing his forehead. As I went downstairs I glanced into the nursery and saw Jamia changing Miles. I went down, sitting on the couch.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Jamia asked as she came downstairs.

“He has been flirting with you,” I said as I stood up. “He couldn’t wait until he could get his hands all over you again.”

“What the fuck are you on about?” She asked. “He hasn’t done anything.”

“Oh yeah because he’s just tickling you and trying to dance with you for no reason,” I said.

“Because he is a friend, Frank,” she stated.

“He was trying to fuck you!” I shouted.

“You got us kicked out of my sisters wedding!” She yelled. “I can’t fucking believe you would be so jealous like this! We did nothing wrong!”

“Nothing about you two was innocent!” I denied. “He was by your side the whole time! He was trying to fucking hook up with you again!”

Jamia looked at me her, her eyes watering. She shook her head and left the house. I sighed, kicking my shoes off. I tossed my blazer onto the couch and went upstairs. I could hear quiet whimpering and crying and I peeked inside Gee’s room. He was hiding under the bed as he cried, clutching Sebastian to his chest. I pulled him out, cuddling with him in his bed. The two of us cried together as we fell asleep.


	39. Chapter 39

“Where’s Mommy?” Gee asked.

“She’s just at home,” I said.

“Is Mommy angry at us?” Gee asked.

“No, Mommy isn’t mad at you,” I denied.

“B-but Mommy is mad at you?” He asked.

“Eat your cereal, sweetheart,” I said.

My phone rang and I hoped it was Jamia but it was her brother instead.

“Are you and my sister still fighting?” He asked.

“Yeah, we are,” I said.

“I can take the kids for you if you want to talk to her,” he offered.

“That would amazing, Evan, thank you,” I said.

I hung up and Evan came over. I got dressed into a pair of jeans and a hoodie before I went down to Jamia’s house. I knocked on the door and she opened it, sighing unhappily when she saw me. I stepped in and shut the door. Her eyes were slightly puffy and she still had some residue makeup from last night.

“Mia, I’m sorry about last night,” I said.

“My sister called me, she was so mad at me,” she said. “She didn’t even want to invite you to the wedding. She’s never really liked you ever since we were in middle school and you accidentally put your paint covered hands on her prom dress. She’s pissed at me because you ruined her wedding.”

“It was barely anything,” I said.

“Frank, you punched Bob for no fucking reason,” she said. “You can’t just get jealous and start attacking people like that.”

“I know, I really didn’t mean it,” I said. “He just kept getting on my fucking nerves, he kept talking about how he was gonna take you from me and it just pissed me off.”

“No one is taking you from me,” she said.

Jamia leaned up, pressing her lips against mine. I pulled her close as things grew heated between us. I held her hips tight as I pressed her up against the wall. My hips rolled forward against hers and she gasped, looking up at me. She pulled me closer, whimpering quietly.

I took her hand, bringing her upstairs. I laid her down gently on the bed as I crawled between her legs. I brushed her hair back, giving her a soft smile. I kissed her gently yet it was filled with passion and lust. My hips rolled down against hers and she let out a soft moan. My hands ran up under her shirt and I kissed her roughly. I pulled her shirt off and she wrapped her arms around her middle, covering her stomach as she looked away.

“Hey, Mia,” I said softly. “Baby, you don’t have to hide from me, every inch of you is so beautiful, you take my breath away.”

I pulled her arms away and leaned down, kissing along her stomach. I pulled my shirt off and tossed it aside, leaning down to give her another kiss.

“Are you sure you want to?” I asked. 

We’ve never been together before, this would be out first time.

“I want to,” Jamia said.

I kissed up her neck and she whimpered, tangled her hands in my hair. I unbuttoned her jeans, pulling them down her legs. My hands ran up her thighs, my fingers brushing against the lace on her panties.

“Fuck,” she whimpered. 

My hips rocked against hers and her hand snuck down to cup the bulge in my pants. I cursed under my breath, rutting my hips against her hand. My hands reached around, unclasping her bra. I leaned down, my tongue running along her nipple. She gasped softly and I smirked from the reaction I got. My fingers brushed along her damp panties and she whined. I pulled off her panties and shoved my jeans and boxers off.

“D-do you have a condom?” I asked.

“I’m on the pill,” she said.

“Last time I heard that I had Miles,” I said.

She smiled softly and gestured to the nightstand. I reached in, grabbing a condom from the box. I pressed my lips against hers again, kissing her roughly. My hand snaked down her body and I pushed two in slowly. She gasped, letting it trail off into a small whine. I pumped them in and out slowly and she moaned. Her eyes were closed as she tipped her head back.

“Please, Frank,” she whimpered.

I pulled my fingers away, sticking them in my mouth as I tasted her on me. Jamia whimpered as she watched me. I ripped the condom open and rolled it on. I held her hips, slowly pushing into her. She gasped, her hands tangling into my hair. I bottomed out, breathing heavily. I pulled her legs up into the crooks of my elbows as I slowly rocked into her.

“I love you,” I whispered, burying my face into the crook of her neck.

He little moans and whimpers did nothing but spur me on, the burning pleasure inside me was twisting and pulling as I kept a slow, steady rhythm.

“Please, Frankie,” she whimpered. “F-faster.”

Her cheeks were flushed pink, her soft, pink lips parted softly. I moved faster, my hips snapping forward into her. She gasped, moaning loudly. I sucked on her neck, leaving little marks in my wake. I groaned softly, listening to the soft squeaks of the mattress. I paused, listening to her heavy panting and quiet whines. I kissed her again, creating a slow, hard pace.

“O-oh god,” she whimpered. “I’m close.”

I picked up my pace again, my hand going down to press my fingers against her clit. She cried out as I rubbed her little bundle of nerves, working her closer to her orgasm.

“Please, please,” she moaned. “Oh fuck, Frank.”

Her hands pulled at my hair as I snapped my hips roughly. I felt her stiffen beneath me, her head falling back as she came. I moaned at the sight of her, my hips stuttering. The bliss washed over me, nearly a year long dry spell was washing over me. I gasped, my head spinning as I came, my eyes shut tight as I was practically seeing spots. 

I gasped and pulled out, tossing the condom into the trash can. I laid down on the bed next to her, wrapping my arms around her. She laid with her head on my chest as she gently traced my tattoos with her finger. She smiled up at me and I ran my fingers through her sweaty hair, gently pushing her bangs back.

“What’s that smile for?” I asked.

“Just because I am dating Frank Iero,” she said. “The same Frank Iero I have been dreaming of dating ever since high school. I feel like the luckiest girl in the whole world.”

“I’m the luckiest guy to have someone as amazing as you,” I said. “I’m sorry for getting so pissy yesterday and getting Ashley angry.”

“Was he really saying all that?” She asked.

“He did,” I said. “I should’ve just ignored him and his stupid bullshit that he was always pulling. And I should’ve just trusted that you loved me enough to beat his ass if he tried anything.”

“I would,” she said. “And sorry for not believing you I thought you were just being jealous because I was spending a lot of time with my ex.”

“I was very jealous,” I said. “Only because I don’t want to share the most beautiful girl in the world with anyone else.”

She smiled, leaning up to give me a kiss.

“Who’s watching the kids?” She asked.

“Evan is,” I said.

“I was really worried after the fight, I couldn’t stop crying,” Jamia admitted. “It’s just...this was a fight, our first fight. I thought that maybe this meant we weren’t really meant to be and we weren’t meant to be dating. I thought that after yesterday we were just gonna break up.”

“No, of course not,” I denied. “I think that the two of us are meant to be. We’re gonna be together forever. I-I’m sorry if I’m scaring you by moving a little fast but I just love you so much.”

“I love you too,” she said. 

I gave her a kiss, smiling softly.

“Would you consider adopting Miles and Gee?” I asked quietly, my hand gently rubbing her hip.

“Of course I would,” she said.

“You would be their mom?” I asked hopefully.

“Yeah, why are you asking?” She asked.

“Just like I said before, if you didn’t love them then we couldn’t be together,” I said. “We’re kind of a package deal, me and my kids.”

“Frank, I would love to adopt them,” Jamia said. “Maybe one day in a few years when we’re married.”

“Years, that seems so long,” I said.

“Frank, nothing has to be rushed,” she said.

She leaned up to give me a soft kiss. 

“I love you,” I said. “And I just wanna show you that I love you.”

“You don’t have to show me by marrying me,” she said. “I already know. And I love you too, love you so much.”

I smiled, kissing the top of her head.

“So, how was it?” I asked.

“Amazing,” Jamia said.

I chuckled, wrapping my arms around her.

“We should probably head back to your house soon,” she said.

“Mm, but I just wanna stay here and cuddle forever,” I said. “And there’s only stinky diapers at home.”

“Stinky diapers and your two beautiful sons,” she said.

“That’s true,” I said. “But it’s just so comfortable here with you. You’re so beautiful.”

Jamia giggled, smiling up at me happily.

“Come on, we have to get up,” she said. “And now I’m hungry too.”

She stood up and I smiled as I watched her pull her panties back on. She grabbed her bra, clipping it and pulling the straps over her shoulders. 

“What are you just watching for?” She asked.

“You’re beautiful, I can’t take my eyes off you,” I said.

Jamia blushed, throwing my shirt at me. I smiled as I pulled it on and got up, grabbing my boxers. I got dressed, smiling as I gave her a kiss. She threw on her t-shirt and I sighed.

“Still just as beautiful,” I whispered. “I might just have to take you back into bed with me.”

She giggled, giving me a kiss before we headed back to my house.


	40. Chapter 40

I held Gee’s hand, walking into the store with him. He sat in the cart while I pushed it around. Gee swiped a box of candy off the shelf and I sighed as I grabbed it and put it back. I grabbed some diapers and formula as well as a package of three pacifiers. I grabbed some boxes of cereal and ingredients for dinner.

“Daddy, where’s Miles?” Gee asked.

“He’s at home with Mommy, you know that,” I said.

Gee smiled and I went to the checkout counter to pay for everything. Gee helped me carry bags out to the car and I buckled him in. We got home and I looked around, setting the bags on the counter. I walked downstairs where there was music playing and smiled. Jamia was sleeping on the couch with Miles. Miles was awake and he cooed at me. I picked him up, carrying her with a blanket. I went up to the living room and smiled as I kneeled in front of Miles with him on the ground.

“Hey, Baby Boy,” I cooed. “You’re so adorable. Can you say Da Da? Say Da Da!”

Miles laughed and I gasped.

“Oh my god, you laughed,” I said. “You actually laughed!”

Miles laughed, kicking his feet. Jamia’s phone rang and I answered.

“Hello?” I asked.

“Hello, may I speak to Jamia Nestor?” The man asked.

“Yeah, hold on,” I said.

I frowned in confusion and went downstairs, shaking her awake.

“Mia, Mia wake up,” I said softly. “Someone’s on the phone for you.”

She mumbled something and sat up, taking the phone. I went upstairs, looking down at Jamia curiously as she talked. Miles cooed, rolling over onto his stomach. He picked his head up and looked at me, cooing softly.

“Hey, there, cutie,” I said. “What kind of trouble are you getting into?”

His head wavered and I caught it just before he nose-dived to the floor. He laughed and I picked him up. I carried him downstairs where Mia just got off the phone.

“Guess what, Miles is laughing,” I said.

“Really?” Jamia gasped. “Come on, sweetheart, laugh for me.”

Miles just gurgled and I kissed the top of his head. 

“Who was on the phone?” I asked.

“That was an amazing opportunity,” she said.

“What does that mean?” I asked with a small chuckle.

“It means that Frnkiero andthe Cellabration is going to be the opening act on tour with Fall Out Boy,” she said.

I gasped, shaking my head.

“No, y-you did not,” I denied. “Holy shit! That’s amazing!”

I gave her a hug but then frowned.

“Wait, no,” I mumbled. “I can’t go on tour, wh-who brings a three month old baby on tour? That’s gotta be child abuse or something, I’d be such a shitty parent to bring him.”

“You wouldn’t be in a van, you would have an actual tour bus,” she said. “It would only be a couple of weeks, just about a month and a half, two months. And this is an amazing opportunity for you and the rest of the band. It’s a U.S. headline tour, you’re going to travel all around the country playing at huge venues.”

“Fall Out Boy is a pretty big band,” I said. “They’re famous, way bigger than us, h-how did you get this?”

“Well, I heard through the record label that they were going on tour again and I got in touch with their manager and sent them your album and they loved it,” she said.

“F-Fall Out Boy loved my songs?” I asked and she nodded. “Oh my god, I feel sick. I-I love them. They’ve only got two albums but they’re amazing.”

“Yes and you will be going on tour with them,” she said. “And we are meeting them for coffee in an hour.”

“You’re shitting me,” I said.

She shook her head.

“I am going to go call the others and tell them,” she said.

“Okay, I’ll get my parents to watch the kids,” I said. “Thank you, Mia, you’re amazing.”

I gave her a soft kiss before going upstairs. I called my mom, sitting on the couch.

“Hi, mom, are you able to watch Gee and Miles for me?” I asked.

“No, I can’t, I’m sorry,” she said. “Your father and I are out of state visiting your grandma.”

“Oh, that’s okay,” I said. “Tell them I said hi.”

“Of course, sweetheart, I love you,” she said.

“Love you,” I said before hanging up.

I sighed, looking down at Miles.

“What are we gonna do with you?” I asked.

He cooed, a line of drool falling down onto his shirt. Jamia came upstairs and I looked over at her.

“My parents aren’t able to watch the kids,” I said.

“We’ll take them with us,” Jamia said. “This is just a casual introduction, nothing formal or fancy. Now go get ready, I am going to get the kids ready and I will make sure that Gee is on his best behavior.”

I nodded, going upstairs. I went upstairs to get dressed, changing into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with a cardigan over it. Jamia got the two boys ready before we got into the van. We picked the others up and I sighed quietly as we drove. I felt nauseous, my stomach was twisting with nerves.

“Daddy, are you okay?” Gee asked.

“Yeah, Baby, I’m fine,” I said, kissing his cheek. 

We got to the starbucks and I saw Fall Out Boy sitting at a table. We ordered drinks and greeted them, shaking hands before we sat down. I held Miles,listening to him coo.

“We’re really excited to have the opportunity to perform with you,” Evan said.

“We’re glad to have you, your songs are amazing,” Pete said.

I smiled, rubbing Miles’ back gently.

“I love your music, you guys are amazing,” I said.

“We’re so excited you guys are gonna be on tour with us,” Patrick said. “I’m sure Jamia already told you but this is about a two month tour around the country and if it goes well then we would love for you guys to join us on our European tour.”

“E-Europe?” I asked.

“Yeah, we’re planning for one not long after the U.S. tour,” Patrick said. “We watched a video of you guys performing and you’re amazing live. I think that having us together will be a really good match for an amazing tour.”

I nodded, holding Jamia’s hand.

“We’re all really stoked,” Alex said. “We would love to be able to go on tour with you guys. I mean, a European tour is like a dream come true.”

“How long would that tour be?” I asked.

“Probably a month or so,” Joe said. “We’d go around Great Britain and then down to France and Germany, Ireland, Wales, the Netherlands, Belgium and end it off in Russia.”

“Jesus, I’ve never even been to Canada,” I said.

They chuckled as I took a drink of my coffee. I looked down at Miles, biting my lip. What kind of good parent drags a baby around the world while performing shows? Miles will only be probably six or seven months old when the European tour starts.

“Yeah, we would love to go,” Evan said. “I’m sure I can speak for everyone when I say that we would love to be able to to with you.”

The others nodded but I hesitated. Jamia seemed to be the only person to notice and she gave my hand a soft squeeze. I couldn’t bring Miles with me, that’s such an irresponsible thing for me to do as a parent. I could leave him home with my parents. But then I would miss months of his life. I would miss his smiles and his laughs and his first steps and first words.

We talked for a while and soon we were done. We had made plans to go on tour with them and Jamia was starting to get ready planning everything as we got home. She--as well as the rest of the band--all talked eagerly about going on tour, both the U.S. and the european tours.

“This is amazing,” Jamia said when we got home. 

I put the kids to bed for a nap before sitting down on the couch, breaking down crying.

“Frank, what’s wrong?” Jamia asked, sitting down beside me.

“I-I can’t go,” I cried. “I can’t go on tour and I know you worked so hard to get this for us and the guys are excited and I’m just going to ruin everything because I can’t go!”

“What do you mean? Why wouldn’t you be able to go?” She asked. 

“Because I have Miles and I would be the shittiest parent in the world to take a baby on tour with me,” I said. “That’s gonna be abuse of some kind. I-I can’t take him with me.”

“I’ll stay home,” Jamia said. “I’ll stay home with Gee and Miles.”

“Y-you can’t stay home,” I whimpered. “I need you there with me.”

“No you don’t,” she said. “I can stay home with the kids and I can skype you every single day.”

I shook my head. “I can’t leave them behind. I’m gonna miss them too much, I’m going to miss months of their lives. Miles won’t even remember me by the time I get back!”

“He wouldn’t forget you, You’re his dad,” she said. 

“That doesn’t matter when I’m not around,” I said. “Just because I’m his dad it doesn’t mean that he isn’t going to forget me from being an absent father.”

“You aren’t an absent father,” she denied. “You’re going on tour with your band, this is your job, this is your dream, this is everything you’ve worked so hard for.”

“I can’t do it,” I whispered. “I-I Just can’t go on this tour, Mia. I’m a shitty father by dragging them with me and a shitty father for leaving them.”

Mia wrapped her arms around me and I cried into her shoulder until I fell asleep.


	41. Chapter 41

I sighed, kneeling down in front of Gee.

“I’ve gotta go away for a little bit, Princess,” I said.

“You’re leaving me?” He asked sadly.

“No, I love you,” I said. “I just have to go away for a little bit. I promise I’ll talk to you on Foldy Evan.”

He sniffled, his eyes watering.

“I love you,” I said. “I promise I’m gonna be back soon.”

“I love you too, Daddy,” he said. “Here, Take Seb Seb with you, he’s gonna protect you and keep you not lonely.”

“Baby, it’s okay, you can keep Sebastian,” I said. 

Gee shook his head, handing me his favorite stuffie. I kissed his cheek and stood up. I took Miles from Jamia, giving him a kiss.

“I love you, Baby Boy, I love you so much,” I said. “I’m sorry I’m leaving you, I really don’t want to. Mia is gonna keep you nice and safe.”

I turned to Jamia next as I cried quietly.

“I love you,” I whispered.

“I love you too,” she said.

I gave her a soft kiss, gently wiping the tears off her face

“I’m gonna miss you so much,” I mumbled.

Jamia wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tight. I handed her Miles, sniffling quietly.

“I should go,” I said softly. “If I don’t get on that bus now then I don’t think I ever will.”

Jamia nodded and I got on the bus, sighing quietly. I looked out the window and saw everyone saying their goodbyes to Jamia and Gee.

“Where did Daddy go?” I heard Gee ask.

“He went on the bus,” Jamia said.

“Where’s he going?” Gee asked.

“He’s gonna go play music for some people,” Jamia said.

“He’s leaving me for other people?” Gee asked.

“He isn’t leaving you, he’s gonna come back,” Jamia said.

“Mommy, I miss him,” Gee cried.

It shattered my heart my heart as I watched him sob and Jamia held him close. I sat on the couch, crying quietly as I pulled my knees up to my chest. Everyone got on and the bus started driving away. I waved goodbye, tears rolling down my cheeks.

“Frank, it’s gonna be okay,” Evan said, patting my back.

“How could I do this?” I asked. “I’m a shitty parent, I’m leaving my kids behind. And Miles is only a baby? He’s three months old!”

“You aren’t a bad dad, Frank,” he denied, sitting next to me. “You love your kids. You’re going on tour because it is your job, you’re living your dream as a musician. You aren’t just ditching them, you’re gonna come back in just a little bit.”

“Two months,” I whispered. “I-I get upset when I don’t even see them for two hours!”

“Frank, you’re gonna be okay,” he said. “You’re gonna be home soon.”

I sniffled and nodded, wiping my eyes. I sighed as I curled up, looking out the window. The others all talked excitedly but I just wasn’t in the mood. I sat quietly and looked down at my phone background. It was Gee holding Miles while they both smiled.

“Frank, staring at pictures of them isn’t going to make it any easier,” Matt said. “We know it hurts, none of us have kids of our own but we can imagine what it’s like to leave your children behind. They’re gonna be fine, they’re in good hands and yeah they might miss you but when you get home you’ll get to just cuddle them all day long.”

“I know that it’s my dream to make music and travel the world but honestly, now I wouldn’t mind giving up the dream so much just to be able to stay home with my kids. I love them more than anything, they’re my whole life.”

I sniffled, looking down at my phone again.

“You wanna call them already?” Alex guessed and I nodded. “Do it, you should.”

I nodded, calling Jamia on my phone. I went to the back of the bus, sitting in the separate room in the back with the door closed.

“Frank, what is it?” She asked.

“I-I missed you,” I whimpered. “I don’t think I can do this, maybe I should just ask them to pull over so I can get off and walk back home.”

“Baby, Frnkiero andthe Cellabration can’t be Frnkiero andthe Cellabration without Frank Iero,” Jamia said.

“I know but I just don’t know if I can leave you and my kids behind,” I said softly. “You’re my family and I love you.”

“We love you too, Frank, and we all want you to do this,” she said. “And maybe once Miles is a little bit bigger we can all join you on tour, how’s that sound?”

“Really good,” I mumbled. “I don’t know if I would be able to leave you guys again.”

“It’s gonna be okay, Frank, you’re gonna go onstage and you’re gonna get that same adrenaline rush and you’re gonna love every second of it,” she said.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” I mumbled.

“I know I am,” she said and I could practically hear the smirk on her face. “ Now what are you doing talking to me? Go have fun! I promise we’re okay and you’re not a bad dad.”

“Okay, thank you, Mia,” I mumbled. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Baby,” she said before hanging up.

I went out to where everyone was sitting on the couches. 

“I can’t believe we’re actually doing this,” Matt said. “We’re gonna be in huge arenas with thousands of people.”

I smiled softly at the thought of all those people there, performing with all my heart. I knew it would be amazing and one of the best things to ever happen to me but another part of me would just be aching from how much I missed my family. 

“This is what we always dreamed of,” Evan mumbled, his eyes watering. 

I squeezed his shoulder, giving him a soft smile. 

“We’re finally doing this,” I said. 

Everyone was silent for a moment as we took it in. 

“Alright, how long until the next show?” I asked. 

“We’re heading down to Florida so not for a little while,” Matt said. “We have a bit of time to kill. Please tell me you guys brought bus entertainment things.”

“I knew there was gonna be a tv so I brought my Xbox along with a bunch of games to play and movies to watch,” Evan said. 

“Oh good,” Alex said. “I brought some cards and books.”

“I-I didn’t bring anything,” I said. “I was so busy worrying to make sure the kids had everything they would need while I was away that I didn’t even think about it. I’ve got my phone and my laptop but that’s it.”

“I think we’ll be able to manage entertaining ourselves with the things we have,” Alex said. “And we can always just pick up more books and movies and things like that while we’re traveling.”

“Or we can just play eye spy the entire time,” Evan said. 

I chuckled, shaking head. I looked down at Sebastian that sat on my lap and I felt my heart shatter. Maybe I would get used to the idea of being away from my kids, as much as I really didn’t want to. But they would be okay, I know they would. They’re with Jamia and she would take care of them with all her heart. 

“Do we have snacks?” I asked. 

“Yeah, Mia got some, they’re in the cupboards and there’s some drinks in the fridge,” he said. 

I smiled and grabbed a bag of chips before I sat back down. One of them turned on a movie and I sighed, eating my chips. I sat on twitter on my phone, scrolling through the tweets where people mentioned me in their tweets. I got a reminder on my phone and sighed.

“Fuck, Gee’s got a doctor’s appointment tomorrow, I’ve gotta go tell Jamia,” I said. “I completely forgot about it.”

I called Jamia, going back to the back room as the bus rumbled lightly.

“Hey, Mia, I completely forgot but Gee has a doctor’s appointment,” I said. “It’s tomorrow at eleven.”

“Am I able to take him?” Jamia asked. “I’m not his mom, I didn’t adopt him like you did.”

“No, it’s okay, Gee is a special case,” I said. “I left all his information with you so you’ll have everything. He is in the pediatrician’s office. If you need help talk to the nurses, his doctor is Dr. Williams. The nurses and doctors there know him because he’s always there and they all think he is adorable so they will help you with anything you want.”

“Is it gonna just be a normal check up?” She asked.

“Yes, but he’s gonna need some vaccinations so he isn’t going to like that,” I said. “Usually I don’t tell him beforehand or else he’ll throw a fit about going. Sorry you have to take him, I know it’s just a hassle and he can be really difficult at times.”

“I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Jamia said.”Is there anything else I need to know about the appointment?”

“Um, I don’t know,” I said. “His doctor will probably talk to you about other things and ask about how he’s doing and how he’s adjusting. You should spend enough time with him to know the answers but if you need me to talk to her at all you can just call me because I won’t be in a show at that time.”

“Thanks, Frank,” she said. “Are you feeling a little bit better now?”

“Yeah, I guess,” I said. “I know that you’re gonna be okay and the kids are gonna be okay but I’m just gonna miss you a lot. But this is really my dream and I do want to be with my kids but I also just love music and performing.”

“You aren’t gonna be gone for long, soon enough you’ll be home again,” she said. “But you’re really gonna do this, you’re gonna make your dream come true and you don’t have to worry about us missing you too much because we are all so proud of you, we love you.”


	42. Chapter 42

I answered the skype call, smiling as I sat at the table on the bus.

“Gee, come say hi,” Jamia called.

I heard a cry in response and she sighed.

“He is very unhappy,” she said. “How is it so far?” 

“We have our first show tonight and I miss you, it’ll be our first ever show without you there,” I said. “I love you.”

“Daddy!” Gee cried, walking over to plop himself down on Jamia’s lap. “Mommy took me to the doctors and they hurt me!”

He showed me the princess bandages on his shoulder and I sighed.

“They’re just trying to keep you healthy,” I said. “So that way you don’t get sick and feel icky like you did before.”

He sniffled, wiping his eyes as he ate his ice cream sadly.

“Tell Daddy what the doctor said,” Jamia whispered.

Gee huffed unhappily, shaking his head.

“Come on, princess,” she urged. 

“I weigh forty-eight pounds,” he said quietly.

I gasped. “Really? Oh my god, Princess, that’s amazing!”

“Yeah, he made it into the tenth percentile for his height,” Jamia said. “He just needs to gain a little bit more to be at a healthy weight. Only five more pounds, right, Gee?”

Gee nodded and I smiled, my eyes watering. He was getting so much healthier now. I remember when I first found him, he was so thin I could see all of his bones. But look at him now, he was already forty-two pounds and getting healthier everyday, I was so proud of him. He was barely even thirty pounds when I first met him, he was so unhealthy.

“Oh, Gee, I’m so proud of you,” I cooed.

Gee muttered unhappily, eating his ice cream.

“But they hurt me!” He cried.

“They’re trying to help you, Sweetheart,” Jamia said.

“Where’s Miles?” I asked.

“I’ll get him!” Gee exclaimed, his mood during a complete one-eighty.

He ran off and Jamia quickly chased after him. We had made the decision to not leave Gee alone with Miles and to not let him carry him alone. Of course we felt bad about it but Gee just wasn’t responsible and careful enough with an infant.

“Daddy, I think Miles misses you because he crieded a lot,” Gee said when they came back down.

“Cried, sweetheart, not crieded,” Jamia corrected.

I looked at Miles and smiled softly.

“Hey, Miles,” I said.

Miles looked over, cooing as he reached for me. 

“Hey,” I said, waving softly. “Did he sleep well?”

“He did,” Jamia said. “You only woke up twice last night, didn’t you, Miles?”

Miles cooed, waving his arms and inadvertently hitting Jamia in the face. Gee leaned down, giving Miles a kiss. The little infant laughed happily and I smiled.

“I miss you guys,” I said. “It’s only been one day but I miss you.”

“I miss you too, Daddy,” Gee said. 

I smiled, wishing I could just reach through the screen to hug him. 

“But you’re gonna a be good on the stage,” Gee said. 

“Thank you, Baby Boy,” I said. 

Gee smiled proudly and I sighed. 

“I don’t know how I’m gonna make it two months without you guys,” I mumbled. 

“Me too, Daddy,” he agreed. “I don’t know what that is but it sounds long.”

“You’re so cute,” I mumbled. 

Jamia kissed the top of Gee’s head. 

“We’re gonna have so much fun here,” Jamia said. “Isn’t That right, Princess?”

Gee nodded. “Mommy said that later when Miles is taking his nappy then we can have a tea party.”

“That sounds like fun,” I said. 

“Yeah And Mommy said she would even bake cookies for the tea party!” He exclaimed. 

“What kind of cookies?” I asked.

“Mommy, what kind of cookies are we having?” Gee asked.

“We are having chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies,” she said.

“What’s a peanut butter cookie?” Gee asked. “I don’t think cookies make good bread, Mommy.”

“It isn’t a sandwich, sweetheart,” she said. “I think you’ll like it.”

“Can I have bread?” Gee asked. 

“You can have one piece,” she said. 

Gee ran off before coming back with two pieces. 

“Gee, I said one,” she sighed. 

“I can’t count, Mommy,” he said. 

“Yes you can, you can count to ten,” Jamia said. “Is that one piece of bread?”

“No, Mommy, he mumbled, hanging his head sadly.

“Did you not listen to Mommy?” Jamia asked. 

Gee sniffled and nodded. 

“Are you supposed to listen to Mommy?” She asked. 

“Yes, Mommy,” Gee mumbled. “I’m sowwy.”

“It’s okay, go put one piece of bread back and listen to Mommy next time,” she said. 

He hurried off and Jamia sighed as she looked down at Miles. 

“You know if you don’t want to watch them then you can drop them off at my parent’s,” I said. 

“Are you kidding me? I love them,” she said. “They’re the cutest little things in the whole world. I love watching them, Frank.”

I smiled, wishing I could just kiss her now. Gee came back and ate his bread sadly.

“I love you, Princess,” Jamia said, kissing Gee’s cheek. 

“Wove you, Mommy,” Gee said. 

I smiled as Evan walked on the bus. 

“Hey, You wanna say hi?” I asked. 

Evan smiled and sat beside me. I left them to talk as I grabbed some tea. Matt came into the bus and sighed.

“It’s time to go get ready,” he said. 

I nodded, going to the laptop.

“I have to go,” I said. “I love you so much and I miss you.”

“I love you too, good luck,” Jamia said. “Princess, tell Daddy good luck.”

“Good lick!” He cheered. 

“Luck, Baby, not lick,” Jamia corrected. 

“Good luck, Daddy,” Gee said. 

“Thank you, Princess,” I said. 

I hung up reluctantly and sighed as I stepped off the bus. My stomach was twisting and churning, almost making me nauseous. 

“Fuck, I’m shaking,” Alex muttered. 

I nodded, taking deep breaths as we walked into the stadium. It was huge here, thousands and thousands of empty seats waiting to be filled with screaming fans. 

“You guys are gonna be great,” Pete said. “You’re amazing.”

I nodded, the vast emptiness of the stadium seemed to go on for miles. 

“I think I might throw up,” I muttered as I stood at the edge of the stage and looked out. 

“Hey, Frank, you’re gonna be fine,” Patrick said. “It’s no different than performing in small venues. Either way your performance is gonna be perfect.”

I watched them test the lasers, fire, smoke and lights before we were able to do soundcheck. As I was upstairs I could look out a window outside. There was a line of people going all the way down the block, turning around the corner. My stomach dropped and I felt my head go light. 

“Shit,” I mumbled. 

I walked back down, sitting on the edge of the stage. I looked down at the picture of my kids and sighed. It helped to calm me down a bit but i was still completely terrified. If they believe that I could do this then maybe I really can. 

I headed back to the dressing room. I paced around the room and I thought I might just lose my Fucking mind. I tweeted out a little post, a picture I had taken of the empty venue with a caption that started with “tonight’s our night.” It had become a sort of tradition for me to do before every show. 

“Frank, Jamia says that you need to relax,” Evan said, an ear pressed to his phone. 

“I-I think I’m gonna have a panic attack,” I said, listening to the crowd fill up the stadium. 

I leaned against the wall, the thought of controlling my own breathing seemed to be completely out the window now as I panicked. 

“Come on, let’s go get you some fresh air,” Matt said. 

He walked outside with me and the warm air did help me relax a bit. 

“Come on, Frank, you’ve done this a million times before,” he said. “You spent years performing in front of your mirror then your parents then friends then small venues. It was all just practice for this and you are going to fucking rock it.”

“Y-Yeah, I have been practicing for a while,” I muttered. 

“Yeah and this is gonna be Fucking simple,” Matt said. “We Go out There and rock out a few songs and then you would have done it. You would have actually met your dream of performing for thousands of people in a huge stadium. You worked your whole life for this, it’s your dream.”

I nodded, my eyes watering. 

“And we are going to go on your laptop and set up a Skype call with Jamia and Gee,” he said. “Joe told me he would be willing to sit at the side of the stage where he isn’t seen to watch the laptop so that way you can still sort of have your family there, they can watch you perform and they know you are going to do amazing.”

“Thanks, man,” I said, giving him a hug. 

We walked inside and got ready. We had to leave the dressing room but I stopped them to say something. I held out my hands and they looked at me in confusion before interlocking hands in a circle. 

“Are we praying?” Evan asked. 

I shook my head. “I just…I just wanted to say thank you. I know the band is Frnkiero andthe cellabration But Frank Iero couldn’t be Frank Iero without his brothers. If it wasn’t for you guys I wouldn’t be here right now about to do the most amazing thing I have ever done. I just want to thank you for everything. For joining my band and putting up with my dumbass and helping with my kids. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you guys. Thank you, you’re my brothers and you always will be, I love you guys.”


	43. Chapter 43

“Daddy? When are you gonna be home?” Gee asked sadly. 

“In just a few weeks, I promise, I said. 

“I miss you,” he mumbled. “I just cry a lot because you’re not here.”

“Oh, princess, it’s okay, I’ll be there soon,” I said. “You have Mommy and Miles.”

“But I want Daddy!” He cried. 

Jamia came into the screen and Gee cried into her shoulder. It shattered my heart watching him cry while knowing I couldn’t do anything about it. 

“Baby, come here,” she said. “Mommy’s got you.”

My eyes watered as I looked down. 

“P-please don’t cry, Princess,” I whimpered. 

I sniffled, running a hand through my short hair. Gee eventually calmed down and Jamia put him down for a nap. I sighed as I looked at my girlfriend through the screen. 

“I miss you,” I whispered. “God, it’s physically painful from just how much I miss you, you and the kids.”

“We miss you too,” she said. “We can’t wait until you’re home and then I can give you a kiss.”

I smiled, playing with the sleeves of my shirt. 

“God, i love you so much,” I mumbled. 

Jamia looked down, a soft frown on her face. 

“Baby, what’s wrong?” I asked. 

She bit her lip before holding up the little ring box that I had kept stashed away in my nightstand.

“What is this?” She asked. 

“You weren’t supposed to find it,” I mumbled. 

“Y-you were gonna propose?” She asked. 

“Yeah, I was,” I said. “Not now or anything but...I love you and I know that you’re the one I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

She looked a little scared and I bit my lip. 

“Why do you always seem so against us getting married?” I asked. 

“Just because…y-you rejected me once before, What if you do it again?”

“Mia, I would never do that,” i denied. 

“You didn’t used to love me, there was a time where you didn’t want me kissing you,” She said. 

“That was in the past,” I stated. “I love you more than anything.”

“But you changed your mind once, what if you change it again?” Jamia asked quietly. 

“I’m not,” I denied. 

“And you’re not gonna meet someone while you’re away on your that you decide you love more than me?” She asked. “Or not even that you love, someone you just decide you want to have a quick fuck with? And you have a new tour manager to replace me and she’s so pretty and skinny.”

“Mia, Baby, you don’t have anything to worry about,” I denied. “I love you more than anything and nothing will ever change that. I would never leave you for anyone else and I would never cheat on you.”

Jamia sniffled, wiping her eyes. 

“I’m sorry I’m just getting so freaked out,” she mumbled. “I just saw the ring and freaked out a bit.”

“Well, you like the ring?” I asked. “Because if you don’t then I can get it exchanged.”

“No, I love it,” she said.

I smiled as I watched her slip it on her finger. 

“It’s my size, how’d you know?” She asked. 

“Oh, I just borrowed a couple of rings from your jewelry box,” I said. 

“That’s where they’ve been going?” She asked with a chuckle. “Do you have yours?”

“Yeah, it’s by my watch in the nightstand,” I said. 

Jamia smiled, looking down at her hand. 

“So is that a yes?” I asked. 

Jamia looked at me. “Oh, no, that’s not how this is gonna go.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked. 

“You are not just gonna propose to me over Skype like that,” she said. 

“So it's a no?” I asked. 

“It is until you can do better, Frank Iero,” she stated. 

I chuckled, watching her take the ring off and put it in the box. 

“Make sure you keep Gee’s sticky fingers away from that,” I said. 

“Yeah, I know,” she said. “It’s pretty and simple, I like it.”

“I’m glad,” I said. “I thought you would like it.”

I smiled, looking down at Sebastian in my lap. 

“How’s he doing without Seb Seb?” I asked. 

“He’s pretty good, He has Squilly and he told me that he’s happy Seb Seb is with you to keep you company,” she said. 

I nodded, running a hand through my hair. 

“How’s tour?” She asked. 

“It’s Fucking amazing,” I said. “We’ve been performing at huge venues for thousands of people and it’s like a non-stop adrenaline rush. Every second of it is just amazing. The only thing that would make it better would be if you were here to watch me.”

“I love you,” she said. “And when you have your last show in New York then I was planning on going.”

“You are?” I asked hopefully. “Oh, Mia, please, I can’t wait until you can see me perform there. Mia, it is so amazing. There’s lights and smoke and fire. Fuck, it is so cool. I thought it was amazing to watch it but experiencing it is just as amazing. It’s like i’m on cloud nine when I perform, seriously.”

“I can’t wait to see you,” Jamia said. “Maybe I can even bring Gee with me.”

“Oh, that would be amazing,” I agreed. “God, Mia, I can’t wait until I can hold you in my arms again. It’s so lonely just sleeping in my bunk alone.”

“The bed here is so cold without you,” she said. “But Gee comes and cuddles with me a lot.”

I nodded, looking out the window at the dark sky.

“The show tonight went okay?” She asked. 

“Yeah, it was really good,” I said. 

“Where are the rest of the guys?” She asked.

“Oh, we don’t have a show tomorrow so they went with the guys from Fall Out Boy to get a drink,” I said. “And by get a drink I mean that they are going to party and won’t be back until three in the morning when they’re all hammered.”

“Why didn’t you go?” Jamia asked.

“I just wanted to talk to you instead,” I said. “I missed you a lot.”

“You’re on tour, Frank, you should be going out having fun with your friends,” she said.

“No, Mia, I would rather just stay here and talk to you,” I said.

“You’re so sweet,” Jamia said. “You’re such a sweet talker, almost like you’re trying to get something.”

“Just telling the truth,” I said. “God, I Can’t wait until I’m home and I can just hold you in my arms.”

“Yeah?” She asked. “What else?”

“I would kiss you, long and slow and passionate,” I whispered. “I would press you against my bed and kiss all over every inch of your body.”

Jamia let out a soft whimper and I smirked.

“I would go nice and slow, just enough to making you a whining mess beneath me,” I said.

“Fuck,” Jamia muttered.

She went upstairs to my bedroom and locked the door, sitting on the bed with the laptop on the mattress in front of her.

“You have no clue how bad I want to kiss you and lay in between your legs,” I said. “I want to fuck you so hard. Nice and slow and hard. We would fuck all night long. I want to run my tongue all over your body, caress every inch of skin.”

Jamia let out a whimper, pushing her thighs together shyly as she blushed.

“Fuck,” I muttered, a hand going to cup the semi-hard erection in my pants. “I want to listen to your little moans, I wanna make you come over and over again as you scream my name.”

I gasped softly as I unbuttoned my jeans, pushing them down around my thighs. I wrapped a hand around my erection, stroking myself slowly.

“Fuck, Baby, I wanna fuck you so hard,” I muttered.

Jamia whimpered, her hand slowly going down her pants.

“Please,” she breathed. “O-oh god, I want you here so badly, I wanna feel you inside me.”

My thumb ran over my tip and I gasped.

“God, I want you to ride me,” I muttered.

Jamia nodded, spreading her legs slightly. I couldn’t see anything other than her hand moving under her pants but it still turned me on.

“Fuck, Baby,” I muttered. “I wanna eat you out so badly, I wanna make you scream.”

Jamia whined quietly, her head tipping back.

“Frank,” she moaned.

I bit my lip, stroking myself quicker.

“God, I love you so much,” I breathed out. “You’re so fucking hot.”

Jamia’s face was flushed red as she panted softly.

“Fuck, Mia, please,” I muttered. “I wanna fuck your pretty mouth too. I wanna see your pretty pink lips wrapped around my hard cock. I wanna hear you beg me to fuck you.”

Jamia whined and I saw her arm move as she picked up her pace, working herself closer to her orgasm.

“Tell me what you want, Baby,” I said and she looked at me nervously. “Come on, Baby.”

“I-I want you to fuck me,” she whispered. “Please, oh god, I want you to fuck me. I-I want you inside of me so badly. F-Frank, oh fuck, please.”

I moaned, watching the way she covered her mouth to try and muffle her moaning.

“Fuck, Mia,” I muttered. “Shit, I’m gonna come.”

I stroked myself faster, feeling the burning heat pooling in the pit of my stomach, twisting into a tight knot. 

“Gonna fuck you nice and hard,” I mumbled. “As soon as I get home I am ripping off your clothes and eating you out until you scream.”

Jamia moaned, her jaw dropping as she gasped. Her hips jerked forward as she orgasmed, her face turning into one of pure bliss. I moaned as I watched her, stroking myself quickly. Pleasure washed over me as I felt the adrenaline wash over me. I gasped, moaning loudly as my head fell back. I came in my hand, jerking my hips up. I sighed as I grabbed some tissues, cleaning me up.

“Fuck,” I muttered.

Jamia blushed as she pulled her hand out of her pants.

“I-I didn’t expect the call to go like this,” she mumbled.

I chuckled softly, pulling my pants up and buttoning them.

“God I missed you,” I mumbled.

She smiled, her face still covered in a shy blush. The tour bus opened and Evan and Cara walked in.

“Hey, you two are back early,” I remarked.

“I wasn’t feeling well and Cara offered to walk me back,” Evan said. “I-I’m gonna go lay down.”

“You okay, Evan?” Jamia asked.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” he said. “Just feeling sick.”

He laid down in his bunk and Cara walked over.

“Hey, Jamia,” she said.

“H-hi, Cara,” she said.

“Frank, the guys are all wondering where you’re at,” Cara said. “Why aren’t you going and celebrating with us?”

“I just wanted to spend time with my family,” I said..

“Okay, well, you know where we are of you wanna catch up,” she said.

I nodded my head and she left.

“You should go,” Jamia said.

“No, I would rather spend time with you than out partying,” I said.

“Frank, really,” she said. “Go have some fun. It’s getting late here anyways, you should just go. I need to get some sleep too because Gee is gonna wake up early and Miles should be waking up for the first feeding in a little bit.”

“If you need help with them then call my parents,” I said. “I know what it’s like with them keeping you up at night.”

“I think I’ll be okay, it isn’t too bad,” she said. “Bye, Frank, I love you.”

“I love you too,” I said.

I hung up the skype call before ending walking to the bar to meet up with my friends.


	44. Chapter 44

I smiled as we walked around town, looking around the coast of California. I wished Gerard could be here, I’m sure he would love it. We walked into a record shop and I looked at the boy behind the counter. He had dyed blond hair and was sitting on a stool as doodled in his notebook.

“Hey, you’re Michael, right?” I asked as I walked over to him. “Michael Way?”

“Mikey, yeah,” he said. “Who are you?”

“I’m Frank Iero,” I said. “I’m the one who takes care of and adopted your older brother, Gee.”

“Oh, yeah, right,” he said, looking back down at his notebook as he scribbled with his pen.

“He’s doing fine, just in case you were wondering,” I said.

Mikey sighed and looked up at me.

“I’m sure he is,” he said. “You seem like an amazing person, Mr. Iero. And I know you’re doing everything you can to take care of him, I read about you in the magazine. But honestly I’m not close with my brother. He was kidnapped two years before I was born and my whole life my parents just compared me to Gerard even though he was only a year old when he was taken. They were always trying to mold me into what they thought he would be like. They thought he was gonna be some genius doctor or something.”

“Well, i’m sure they got quite a surprise when they met Gee,” I said. 

Mikey snickered and nodded his head.

“They kept freaking out,” he said. “When Gee lived with us for that short amount of time they would take away his toys and replace it with a book and Gee would flip. He would scream and throw the book because he refused to read it, nearly knocked my parents in the head a few times.”

“Gee doesn’t know how to read,” I said.

“That explains why he got so upset when they tried to get him to read,” he said. “They kept trying to fix him but Gee would only throw fits.”

“Gee doesn’t need to be fixed,” I said. “He’s perfect just how he is.”

Mikey nodded. “I never said that he did need to be fixed. My parents just thought they were supposed to fix him so he could go to college and get a job.”

“I wish he could but he won’t be able to do that,” I said. “The chances of him being able to catch up to people his own age is extremely slim. The doctors told me that they think the highest mental age he’ll get to is maybe nine but he’ll most likely stay around five years old.”

“What about his size?” Mikey asked.

“No, he’s permanently stunted because he was so malnourished,” I said. “I mean, he’s twenty and he doesn’t even way fifty pounds.”

“That’s really sad,” Mikey mumbled. “I can’t travel because I’m still just in high school but if he’s ever here then call me and I’ll spend some time with him.”

“Alright, thank you,” I said. “My son is his brother and he loves having a baby brother. I think that he’ll really like being able to have another brother.”

“When he came to live with us I felt bad,” he said. “I grew up hating him just because my parents were trying to change me into being how they thought he would be. And then I actually met him and I felt bad. He was just a scared little boy being taken away from everything he ever knew.”

“He really is sweet, I know you might not have seen that from him throwing fits the entire time,” I said.

“My parents just tell people that he’s still kidnapped,” Mikey said. “They would rather pretend he doesn’t exist than ruin their image because they sent their kidnapped son away because of his disabilities.”

“Frank,” Cara said. “Look what I found.”

I walked over to the other side of the shop and grinned when I saw one of my records.

“Oh my god, this is amazing,” I mumbled. 

It was one of the colored vinyls, the grey and pink one. I bought it and smiled happily, a huge grin on my face.

“I can’t believe that I actually found one of my records in a shop in LA,” I said.

I walked around and bit my lip as I looked through some of the cheaper albums. I would get a lot of money from this tour but I still wanted to try and save as much as I could because diapers and formula and food is all so expensive. 

“Hey, Frank,” Evan said. 

I looked over and smiled when I saw he was taking a picture of the two of us. 

“What are you doing with that?” I asked. 

“Sending it to my sister,” he said. 

I smiled and nodded, paying for the record. I stepped outside and smiled from the warm air that surrounded me. It was so nice here I was able to wear just a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and a light jacket. It was starting to get late and the sun was starting to set but it was still nice out. 

“Frank Iero?” Someone asked. 

I saw a college-age looking girl walking up to me. She had a huge grin on her face as she ran a hand through her long, dyed blue hair. 

“Oh my god, I’m a huge fan,” she said. “My friends won’t believe I met you, Can I get a photo?”

“Of course,” I said. 

I smiled for a photo with her and she was giggling happily. 

“I saw you last night and I’m seeing you again tomorrow,” she said. “You’re an amazing performer. You know there’s those bands that are great but live they just aren’t as good or vice versa but your studio albums are just as good as you performing live. You take my breath away. Honestly everything you do is just so amazing.”

“Awe, thank you,” I said. “It means a lot to have fans that actually support me.”

She smiled and leaned closer. Next thing I knew her lips was against mine, her hands on my shoulders as she kissed me. I shoved her back, shaking my head. 

“Hey, I am in a relationship, you can’t just go around Fucking kissing people,” I said. 

“Is it a happy relationship?” She asked. 

“Of Fucking course It is,” I said. “I’m gonna fucking propose.”

“But I thought you hooked up with fans,” she said. “That’s how you had Miles.”

“No, I hooked up one time, it’s not a habit,” I said. “I am in a happy relationship.”

“Well, here’s my number if you change your mind,” she said. 

She slipped me a piece of paper before walking off and I scowled. I crumpled up the paper and tossed it in the trash, sighing as I leaned against the brick wall of the building. Alex walked out, frowning softly. 

“What’s wrong?” He asked. 

“Nothing, it’s just that a fan just started kissing me because apparently people think I commonly hook up with fans because of what happened with Alicia,” I said. 

“Did you tell her off?” He asked. 

I nodded. “Of course I did. I told her I was in a very happy relationship and I was about to be engaged.”

“You are?” Alex asked in shock. “You and Jamia have only been a couple for a few months.”

“I know but I love her,” I said. “And she found the ring and she told me if I want to propose to her then I have to do it properly and not just over Skype so I’m pretty sure she’s gonna say yes.”

“Frank, that’s amazing,” he said. “You two are so perfect for each other.”

“Thanks, Alex,” I said. “God, I’m so nervous but I’m still so excited..”

“Do you know how you’re gonna do it yet?” He asked. 

I shook my head. “I want it to be so sickly sweet she gags. Like, I want rose petals and candles and the whole shebang. I just don’t know what to do exactly. I want it to be really sweet, I wanna make her cry because it’s so sweet.”

Alex chuckled, leaning back against the wall with me. 

“Maybe you can go bring her to the docks in New York,” he said. “The ones where all the pretty lights are and then you can propose there at night with the twinkling white lights.”

“It’s right near the venue we’re performing at,” I said. “After we perform and Fall Out Boy goes on I can take her out to the docks and propose because that’ll be after the lights turn on and I gets all empty and peaceful.”

“She’s gonna love it,” Alex said. 

I nodded. “I’ll have to ask Gee to bring the ring without him telling Jamia.”

“Is she okay with adopting Gee and Miles?” He asked. 

“She is,” I said. “And god I am so glad about that, I really want her to be the mother to my kids. I’m glad she loves them.”

“You’ll have a beautiful, odd family,” he said. “You two married with one adopted twenty year old son who was a kidnapping victim and another son you had during a hookup after a concert with a fan.”

“We do have a weird fucking family,” I said with a small chuckle. “I don’t care, I love them all either way.”

“And you’re gonna have more little kids running around with Jamia,” he said. “Jesus Christ, you’re gonna have a full house. Even if you and Jamia only have like three kids you’ll end up with five kids.”

“Well, maybe just one more is fine,” I said. “Jamia’s house is a little bigger so we’d probably move in there because she has one extra bedroom.”

“To think, just a little while ago you were a single man performing at shit bars for people who didn’t care for you while being single and childless and just spending all your time drinking and hooking up with chicks,” he said. “Now you’re here and your band is famous and you’re about to be engaged and you have two kids and you’re even planning on having more.”

“I’m gonna call them to check up on them,” I said. 

He nodded and went back into the store as I called Jamia.

“Hey, Baby, what’s up?” I asked.

“Nothing, I finally got Miles down and I was just about to go to sleep myself,” she said.

“So soon?” I asked.

“Well, there’s a time difference, Frank,” she said and I nodded sadly. “I saw instagram, seemed like you were having fun today with the band and Cara.”

“Yeah, maybe one day we can all go on a vacation here, it’s a lot of fun,” I said. “Are you really going to sleep now? I thought that maybe we could talk for a bit, we haven’t talked all day.”

“I don’t know, Frank, I’m tired, you should go have some fun with them,” she said, sadness laced within her words. “Miles and Gee were both throwing fits today and I’m just tired and worn out.”

“Okay, well, goodnight then, I love you,” I said.

“I love you too,” she said.

Jamia hung up and I frowned softly. I stuffed my phone into my pocket before heading back into the shop.


	45. Chapter 45

“Baby Boy, you can’t watch Teletubbies and pay attention to me at the same time,” I said.

“But Daddy!” He exclaimed. “Twinky Winky is chasing Noo-Noo and Laa Laa is making a mess!”

“Gee, I promise it will only be a minute before you can watch it again,” I said. “There’s a little velvet box in my nightstand and I need you to put it in the inside pocket in your backpack.”

Gee sighed loudly and I heard rustling.

“Ooh, Daddy, this is sparkly!” He exclaimed.

“Put it in your bag and don’t tell Mommy,” I said.

“But that’s not nice,” he said. “Daddy, you told me not to lie.”

“It’s just a little surprise, Baby Boy,” I said. “I’m gonna surprise Mommy.”

“A good surprise?” he asked.

“Yes, Baby, a good surprise,” I said.

“Okay, fine,” he pouted. “Can I have a cookie for being good?”

“Yes you can,” I said. “Now go put it in your bag before you forget.”

Gee put it in his bag before hanging up to watch tv and eat cookies. I sighed nervously, running a hand through my hair. I couldn’t believe that today was actually the day. The last day of tour and they day I propose to my girlfriend.

“You scared?” Evan asked.

“Terrified,” I said. “I didn’t think proposing to someone could be so scary.”

“You’re gonna be fine,” he said.

I nodded and the bus pulled to a stop. We got some things cleaned up and I smiled as I stepped off the bus. I went to the Starbucks a few blocks down and ordered a coffee, sitting at a table. I waited anxiously, shaking my leg as I kept staring at the door.

Half an hour later the door opened and I saw my family finally walk in through the door. Gee screamed, jumping on my lap. He cried as he hugged me tight and I smiled, running my fingers through his hair.

“Oh, Princess, I missed you so much,” I muttered.

After five minutes of hugging and crying I managed to pry him off of me. I smiled, hugging Jamia tight.

“God I missed you,” I mumbled. 

I gave her a soft kiss and she blushed. 

“I love you,” I said. 

“I love you too,” she said. 

I looked beside her and saw a stroller that Miles was sitting in. 

“Stroller?” I asked. 

“I know how you feel about them but I promise they’re safe,” she said. 

I smiled and picked smiled up. 

“I missed you, my little buddy,” I cooed. 

Miles looked at me and started crying, reaching for Jamia. I could feel my heart shatter as I handed him to her. 

“He Just has to get used to you first,” she said. “You’ve been away for awhile.”

I nodded sadly and she kissed my cheek. 

“God, I’m so excited for you guys to see me perform,” I said. “It’s amazing here, I think gee will actually like it because of the lights and such.”

“Daddy, Can I have a cookie?” Gee asked. 

I nodded, bringing him up to the counter. 

“Did you bring what I asked you, Gee?” I asked quietly.

Gee nodded, digging through his backpack. He handed me the box and I double checked to make sure the ring was there and thankfully it was. I stuffed the box into my jacket pocket and bought some coffee for Jamia and a cookie for Gee. We walked back to the tour bus and Gee pushed the stroller happily.

“Daddy, look at me push the stroller!” He exclaimed.

“I see, you’re such a good big brother,” I said, kissing the top of his head.

He smiled proudly and we got back to the bus. Everyone gave Jamia and Gee hugs. Jamia smiled, holding Miles on her hip.

“This must be little Miles,” Cara cooed. “Oh, he is so adorable.”

I couldn’t help but notice the way Jamia shifted ever so slightly, protecting Miles from my tour manager. No one else seemed to notice and I laid a hand on the small of her back.

“You wanna come see the bus, Gee?” I asked.

Gee nodded and I took his hand, bringing him inside. 

“This is where we eat and hang out and back here is the bunks,” I said. “This is where we slept.”

“Which one did you sleep in?” He asked.

I pointed to mine and he giggled, crawling into the bunk.

“I take nappy,” he said.

“You wanna take a nap?” I asked and he nodded. “Okay, you can take a little nappy.”

I tucked him in and shut the curtain. I went out and smiled as I held Jamia’s hand, taking Miles from her. He fussed for a moment before calming down.

“Sweetheart,” I said. “I love you.”

She smiled as we all stood around the outside of the bus.

“Mia, oh you should’ve seen us a few nights ago, the show was fucking awesome,” Evan said.

“Remember the time we got kick out of Meijer?” Cara asked.

I giggled and nodded.

“What?” Jamia asked. “You got kicked out? What even is that?”

“Meijer, it’s kind of like the Walmart of Michigan,” I said. “And, oh god, Cara dared me to put on as many pants as I could.”

“Little wuss only got five on,” she said as she chuckled.

“Hey, you’re the one who ditched me when the worker came,” I said. 

“But I still got yelled at!” She exclaimed.

“Oh my god, that man’s face--”

“It turned bright red!” Cara finished for me.

We both were practically crying as we laughed. Jamia had a small frown on her face as she forced a small laugh. I took a few breaths and walked off with Jamia, going on a small walk.

“Oh my god, Mia, you should hang out with Cara, she’s hilarious and I’m sure you would absolutely love her,” I said.

Jamia shrugged and I stopped walking to look at her.

“Mia, what’s wrong?” I asked.

“Nothing,” she mumbled.

“Baby, come on, I know something is wrong, you’re my best friend,” I said. “What is it, Sweetheart?”

“Nothing, just hungry,” she said. “I’ve been busy getting the boys ready so I didn’t get time to eat.”

“Alright, let’s go grab you something,” I said. “We’ve got stuff at the bus or we can go out and pick you up something quick from a restaurant?”

“I’ll just grab something from the bus,” she said.

I smiled as we went back to the bus. I showed her where everything was and looked at Miles.

“You hungry? You want a bottle?” I asked.

“He’s sitting up all on his own now,” Jamia said.

I gasped and set him down on the ground on his back. My son looked up at me, kicking his feet. He slowly rolled over onto his stomach and I smiled as I watched him move. It took him so long to sit up Jamia had already gotten herself food.

“Oh my god!” I exclaimed. “Oh, baby boy, I’m so proud of you!”

I picked him up and kissed his cheek. He laughed and I smiled. Soon we were brought into the venue to set everything up and wait for the building to fill with fans. 

“Alright, Cara told me she would watch Miles in the dressing room while we’re onstage,” I said.

“D-does she know how to properly take care of him?” She asked nervously.

“Of course she does,” I said. “Can you give him to her while I go to get Gee and put his headphones on?”

Jamia hesitated before he nodded. She walked off and I found Gee playing with Evan. I put his headphones on him just as a worker came over.

“You’re going on in five minutes,” he said.

We got ready and I gave Jamia and Gee both hugs before going out onstage. I performed with all my heart, singing and jumping around. I could see Jamia and Gee on the side of the stage, smiling proudly as they looked at me.

As soon as we were done I took Jamia’s hand. I went back to the dressing room and grabbed a towel, drying off my sweaty hair. I took Miles from Cara, smiling as I gave him a kiss. 

“Here, let’s go on a little walk,” I said. “Take my jacket, it’s a bit chilly out.”

I gave her my jacket and smiled.

“Walk!” Gee cheered excitedly.

“Oh, sweetheart, it’s just us two,” I said.

“Come on, he’s never been to New York, it’ll be fun for him,” Jamia said.

“Alright, we might as well bring Miles too,” I said. 

I put him in his stroller, covering him with a blanket. Gee pushed the stroller and we walked out of the venue. We headed towards the docks and I held Jamia’s hand.

“Don’t I push the stroller good?” Gee asked.

“Yes you do,” I said. “You’re the best big brother ever.”

“And Miles is the best big brother too,” Gee added.

“No, sweetheart he’s your little brother, not your big brother,” I said.

We got to the docks and walked around the little area. Gee walked a few feet ahead of us, singing happily to Miles.

“Blackbird singing in night,” he sang. “Take your wings and fly! Blackbird singing! Blackbird sings!”

“This tour has been amazing, being here with my friends and Cara has been great,” I said and she tensed up when I mentioned Cara. “Baby, why are you doing that? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I guess I’m just a little bit jealous,” she said. “I mean, you’re out here having fun with a pretty girl and you have inside jokes and anecdotes and I just wish I could’ve been here with you traveling the country.”

I stopped and Gee thankfully did too, making funny faces at Miles as the little baby cooed.

“You don’t have to be jealous, Mia,” I said. “I love you so much, I love you more than anyone else in the world.”

I gave her a kiss and she looked down sadly.

“You’re always just posting pictures of you two having fun together,” she mumbled.

“I’m sorry, Baby,” I said. “But that doesn’t mean anything. You know what means something to me? It means something when I wake up looking at your pretty face and my whole life feels complete, it means something when you watch my kids for me and love them, it means something to me when you let me go on tour and live my dream. I love you and only you.”

I knew this was the perfect moment and I dropped down to one knee. She gasped as she looked at me.

“Mia, I love you so much,” I said. “And I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to have our own little weird family and I wanna wake up to you every morning and spend every second with you. I wanna hold you in my arms and love you until the day I die.”

Jamia looked at me as she cried quietly.

“Daddy! Daddy no!” Gee exclaimed, pulling on my arm to try and drag me up to my feet. “Daddy, you’re making Mommy cry! That’s not nice!”

“No, Princess, no,” Jamia said, her voice wavering. “These are happy tears.”

“Is that a yes this time?” I asked.

“Yes, it is,” she said.

I smiled and put the ring on her finger. I stood up and gave her a kiss. I pulled her closer, holding her hips.

“Ew!” Gee exclaimed, covering his eyes.

I smiled and kissed his cheek. I put my own ring on my finger and smiled as I turned back to Jamia.

“God I love you,” I muttered, resting my forehead against hers.

“I love you too,” she said.

I smiled, holding her close to me.

“Daddy, what are you doing here?” Gee asked.

“What are you talking about, Princess?” I asked with a small chuckle.

Gee’s little feet pitter pattered on the wood docks and I turned quickly. Gee ran over and jumped into some man’s arms, hugging him tight. The man looked over fifty, his hair was greying and he wore a polo shirt with khakis. I somehow knew immediately that he was the one who kidnapped Gee.

“Gee!” I shouted, running over.

“Come on, Gee, let’s go,” the man said.

“B-but I wanna stay with Frankie,” Gee said. “I love him, he even ‘dopted me.”

He tried to hurry back to me but the man wouldn’t let him go. Gee cried, kicking his feet.

“Mia, call the police,” I said.

I looked back and saw that she was already on her phone. The man pulled out a gun and I gasped.

“Mia,” I said. “Mia, t-take Miles.”

I was practically shaking in fear as she took Miles out of the stroller.

“A new baby,” the man remarked. “I only came back to get Gee but I would be willing to let you have Gee if I can have a new little baby.”

“No!” I shouted. “You are not taking my son!”

“You get to choose,” he said.

“You’re not taking either of my sons,” I denied.

I jumped at him, tackling him to the ground as he fired his pistol. I pushed Gee away and he hurried back to Jamia.

“You are not taking my fucking kids,” I denied. “You’re fucking sick kidnapping babies all the time.”

“Do you think you’re fucking superman adopting and saving kids?” He mocked.

“You’re a fucking asshole,” I spat. “How could you do this to sweet little Gee? Why the fuck do you even want him?”

“I realized I could sell him,” he said. “He may be twenty but he will forever be the size of a small little boy and have the mind of a child, there’s so many pedophiles who would love fucking him.”

“You’re not selling my son,” I denied. “You’re a fucking sick bastard.”

“D-Daddy?” Gee whimpered. “Mommy’s hurt.”

I looked back and saw Gee sitting on the ground, holding Miles in his arms. Jamia was laying on the ground with blood on her shoulder. I shrieked, running to her side.

“Mia, Mia, oh my god,” I gasped.

I grabbed my jacket that had fallen to the ground and pressed it to her shoulder. The man ran off and I looked at Jamia as police drove over. They called for an ambulance and I cried as I held Jamia in my arms. I gave her a soft kiss, listening to both my kids cry as I held my fiance in my arms, rocking back and forth gently as I sobbed.


	46. Epilogue

I stood at the altar, smiling as I watched everyone walk down the aisle. Next came the flower girl and ring bearer. Gee and Miles came out and I grinned. Gee had on a frilly pink dress and Miles had his own little fancy black suit. They walked down the aisle and Miles ran forward into my arms. I smiled as I picked him up.

“Hi there, buddy,” I said.

“Hi, Daddy,” Miles said.

“Alright, go stand by Uncle Evan now,” I said.

I set him down and he smiled as he sat on the ground next to Evan. I looked over and saw that Gee had stopped in the middle of the aisle and looked into his little white wicker basket. He pulled out a rose petal and looked it over before putting it into his mouth. He gasped, spitting it out. He dropped the basket and ran back to where he came from.

“Mommy! It doesn’t taste good!” Gee cried.

He ran back down the aisle as people chuckled. I heard whispering before Gee came back out and ran to jump in my arms. I chuckled softly and sat him down next to Miles. He sniffled as the two sat quietly, playing with their toys and eating little snacks. 

The wedding march started playing and I looked up. Jamia came into the room and my whole mouth went dry. God, she looked beautiful. Her strapless dress was covered by a white shawl, held closed with a little black bow. The dress ended at her ankles and I could see her dainty little white shoes. Her hair and makeup was done perfectly, a white veil on her head. 

Jamia had been shot in the shoulder but it’s been a few years now and it was perfectly healed, only leaving a wicked scar that I thought was pretty cool. Gee’s kidnapper got away but he hasn’t come back since and hopefully he never will. 

It felt like years before they finally got up and I could hold Jamia’s hands. I was grinning so much my cheeks actually hurt and she looked just as happy as the priest started talking. 

“Mommy, you look pretty,” Gee said, interrupting the priest. 

“Thank you, Baby Boy,” Jamia said. 

He smiled proudly before turning back to his five year old brother. 

“So cute,” I mumbled. 

The priest continued on and as Gee became impatient he laid down in the middle of the aisle. It took forever, I just wanted to be able to be married to the most beautiful girl in the world. 

“I now pronounce You husband and wife, you may now kiss the bride,” the priest finally said. 

I smiled, pulling her close to press my lips against hers. 

“Ew!” Gee exclaimed and Miles copied him. 

I laughed and walked back down the aisle as people clapped. I picked Gee up so he wouldn’t get stepped on, holding him on my hip. Miles chased after us And we walked out of the building. We took some quick wedding pictures before heading to the reception hall. 

“I love you, Mrs. Iero,” I said, giving Jamia a kiss and she giggled happily. 

“I love you too,” she said. 

Gee and Miles ran around the reception hall, shrieking happily as they played. Everyone danced and talked happily together as the night grew on. I stood on the dance floor with Jamia, the two of us swaying together softly. 

“Mommy! Mommy! I wanna dance with you,” Miles exclaimed. 

Jamia pulled away, smiling softly as she turned to Miles. The DJ turned on a more upbeat song and the two danced together. I looked around for Gee and frowned when I couldn’t find him. 

“Hey, Evan, have you seen Gee?” I asked. 

He shook his head and I scowled as I looked around. I looked under a table and smiled when I saw him hiding behind the table cloth with a cupcake in each hand. 

“Baby Boy, What are you doing?” I asked. 

“Want One?” He asked, holding one out. 

His face was covered in the soft pink frosting and he looked excited. 

“How many cupcakes did you take?” I asked. 

“I don’t know, Daddy,” he said. 

I decided to just leave him, let him have fun for the night. When the night came to an end Evan took my kids back to his house, leaving us alone at our own house. 

“Frank, I have a little gift for you,” Jamia said. 

“A gift?” I asked. 

She nodded, sitting me down on the foot of the bed. She went into the closet and I smirked. 

“If you come out in lingerie then this will be the best night ever,” I said. 

“I will but not just yet,” she said. 

She came out with a little box and I frowned. I took it in my hands and pulled off the lid. I picked up the little stick, my heart racing. 

“Y-You’re pregnant?” I squealed. 

“Yeah, I got it confirmed by a doctor two days ago,” she said. “God, I wanted to tell you so badly but I thought it might make you more nervous, this has been the longest two days ever.”

I looked below it and found an ultrasound picture. 

“This looks different than Miles,” I remarked. “Why are there two circles.”

Jamia giggled and I looked at her. 

“No, no, shut up,” I muttered. “Are you serious?! We’re having twins?!”

She nodded and I shrieked happily, wrapping my arms around her as I crashed my lips against his. 

“Okay, Okay,” she said when we calmed down. “Now your next present for the actual lingerie.”

I smiled happily, watching her go into the closet. Everything was just falling into place, my whole family was just perfect.


End file.
